Fragile
by T'Reilani
Summary: Teamwork isn't easy under the best of circumstances. Secrets make it harder. And when one member isn't even inclined to try, she's not the only one who might pay the price. TFA season 2 replacement, includes OC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Oooookay. So this one really needed an edit, too, partly because I took a lot of inspiration from other authors and I think it's pushing the line of too much, and partly because it's developing a little differently than planned and some characters now look OOC. So far I've finished chapters 1-3 and haven't changed any major plot points, just the way they played out. **

**The prologue bit here is new, though. Hope people like it. **

**To first-time readers, yes, this Riella shares a name with my movieverse OC, but not much else. I liked the fact that different Transformers continuities allow for very different versions of the same character, and ran with it.**

_She is a first-frame. Still a sparkling. A child. _

_And she is sentenced to execution for a crime she hasn't committed yet. _

_Her spark burns and freezes and pulses too fast, fluttering and catching and jolting pain through every part of her. Oil runs down her chest and arms, staining her plating, dripping onto the ground. Bleed any more and she will die. _

_She has a choice. She can stay and face the authorities. Judge, jury, and executioner all in one. Or she can leave. Go on the run and never stop running, no matter what._

_It's an easy decision. One means life. One means death._

_She runs._

_She is an undersized third-frame. She looks like a second-frame on a good day and a first-frame on a bad one, but she is almost full-grown now. _

_But compared to the mechs standing in front of her, she might as well be a sparkling for all the good fighting or running will do. _

_Frantic pulses and jolts run through her spark. She fights the pain. She can't afford to be weak now. Her life depends on it. _

_The Cyber-Ninja master looks at her and holds out a hand. He looks kind. He looks sympathetic. He looks trustworthy. Everything feels safe._

_She doesn't believe a word of it. "Safe" has no meaning for her. There is no such thing as safe. There hasn't been since she was a first-frame._

_He asks her a simple question. Yes or no._

_She has a choice. She can tell the truth. Face reality. Or she can keep up the pretense. Hold on to whatever shred of protection it will give her._

_It's an easy decision. One has always worked before. One has an unknown outcome._

_She lies._

_She is a third-frame, and now she looks it. She'll never be tall or heavily plated or curved like the average fembot frame, but she doesn't look like a sparkling anymore._

_The mech kneeling beside her is small for his frame type, lightly armored with no mods. She is still outmatched in size, strength, and speed. _

_But she knows him. He is her best friend. Her only friend. _

_Her spark twitches and jerks, and she curls into a ball from the pain, shaking, biting her lip to stay quiet. _

_She can feel his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. He is worried. He wants to help._

_He knows._

_She has a choice. She can accept his help. For once in her life, trust someone. Or she can insist that it's nothing. That it's not a glitch. Not a problem._

_It's not an easy decision. One will save her. One will destroy her. She doesn't know which._

_She takes a risk._

_She takes his hand._

_She's a fourth-frame adult. Nearly a fully trained Cyber-Ninja, like the mech at her side. She's a match for any one 'bot._

_They've been traveling for millennia. She doesn't know how long it's been since she saw another Cybertronian._

_But there they are. Strangers. Space bridge repair 'bots. The Elite Guard washout, the medic who's older than the two of them put together, the energon-farm giant with very little processing power, and the barely third-frame loudmouth._

_They are still dangerous. They could still kill her. One word to the wrong 'bot and she is dead. _

_She may have told the truth – once – but she never stopped running._

_So when their leader, the former Elite Guard, asks what their abilities are, she's not surprised by her thoughts._

_She has a choice. She can earn their trust. Tell the truth. Or she can risk their hatred. Protect herself._

_It's not an easy decision. The mech beside her is watching. He knows the truth. He will know if she lies. And they asked him for an answer. He can answer for both of them. She knows he rarely lies._

_She doesn't know what to say. How to ask. Whether he will listen if she does._

_She doesn't have to._

_He tells only half the truth._

_He hides her. _

**Chapter One**

::Optimus to Riella.::

On the computer screen, the sleek blue motorcycle and its helmeted rider continued cruising down one of Detroit's side streets, slightly over the speed limit. Almost a full minute passed before a terse female voice snapped, ::Riella. What?::

::Professor Princess is causing trouble for Bumblebee and Sari at a store near Sumdac Tower.:: Optimus Prime waited for a moment, realized that Riella wasn't going to respond, and continued, ::There's too many civilians for them to deal with her. I need you to go help..::

Another few seconds passed before the motorcycle finally changed course, screeching through a tight turn into a narrow alley and disappearing out of traffic-camera range. The disappearance was almost immediately followed by a heavy sigh. ::Fine, I've got it.::

::Good. I'm sending Bulkhead to back you up.::

An irritated hiss of feedback crackled over the comm system, making Optimus wince. ::It's a _human child. _I don't need backup, and frankly I'm surprised Bumblebee does.::

Optimus rolled his optics and decided to avoid that argument. ::Maybe not, but better safe than sorry. The three of you can make sure there's no collateral damage.::

::Yes, _sir_.::The hiss of feedback rose into a sharp screech before being cut off.

Grimacing, Optimus rubbed at his ringing audio and glared at the computer screen. "I really wish she wouldn't do that."

Ratchet shrugged. "Kid does it just to get to you. Don't let her know it's working, and she'll stop."

"Huh." Optimus fiddled with the computer controls. "And find some other way to make me regret giving her orders. Cyber-Ninja training must not involve people skills."

"Give the kid a break." Ratchet took the remote away and shut off the screen. "Yeah, she has the personality of a feral cyber-cat, takes everything personally, and doesn't care who she offends, but you know she'd never turn her back on a 'bot who was really in trouble. When she wants to be, she's not a bad teammate."

Optimus rolled his optics. "The key to that sentence is 'when she wants to be'. Between her and Prowl – for Primus's sake, it's not that hard to work with the team once in a while!"

"Okay, I'll give you that."

"At least Prowl pretends to listen. Riella doesn't even _bother._ You'd think she'd try at some point, if only out of self-preservation!" Optimus was working himself up into a rant. "Worse yet, it's rubbing off on Bumblebee, and now I have to deal with _two_ of them. Is obeying at least one order really too much to ask for?"

"Whoa, now." Ratchet shook his head. "She obeys, just not without comment. I know you Academy 'bots were taught to do what you were told right off without questioning orders until you got a rank, but you've got to remember. Riella's not an Academy 'bot. Really, the kid could be a lot worse. Her attitude needs a lot of work, no question there, but you're overreacting."

Optimus slumped onto the 'bot-sized couch. "Okay, then what _am_ I supposed to do? This has to stop, Ratchet."

Ratchet turned toward the medbay. "I'll talk to her when she gets back. Might be she's upset about something and just needs to get it out."

On the far side of Detroit, Riella raced down the street, swerving around other vehicles without ever touching them. The disturbance was obvious from blocks away; the occasional explosion was resulting in debris and smoke thrown into the air. Oddly pink-colored smoke.

Skidding around one last corner, she transformed in one rapid movement, coming up on one knee and crouching for a second to assess the situation. Pale blue optics flicked from building to building, hunting for a glimpse of the source of the explosions.

_There._

She pushed herself up, forward, and into a front flip, vaulting over a crashed (non-sentient) car and tumbling sideways at the last second to avoid a razor-edged flower. Concrete scraped her knee plating as she rolled upright, glancing rapidly left to right and trying to spot either Bumblebee or Professor Princess through the smoke. "Bumblebee! Sari! Where are you?"

An energy blast from the left answered her question. She dived that direction, somersaulting to avoid another flower and landing on one knee next to the smaller yellow 'bot. "I suppose there isn't much point in asking for an explanation."

"All I know is this girl _really_ needs some help!" Sari poked her head out from behind Bumblebee's leg, red ponytails disheveled.

Riella shook her head impatiently. "Right. I know. Any damage?"

"None to us." Bumblebee ducked back behind the corner of the building as another pink explosion shook the ground. "Just the building. There's still people inside, and I couldn't -"

"Kay." She cut him off with an impatient hand gesture. "You two get the civilians, I've got this." She started to move, only to stop when Bumblebee followed. "What in the Pit d'you think you're doing, kid?"

"You're gonna get slagged!" Bumblebee reached for her arm, saw the look she gave him, and backed off without touching her. "We already tried that, and Sari almost got killed!"

"I'm not a human child," Riella snapped, pointing to the building. "I'll be _fine!_ Get going."

The yellow Autobot opened his mouth, probably to argue, but she ignored him. She'd spotted Professor Princess, still clinging to her robot unicorn, about thirty feet up. _I can jump that far. No problem._ A quick glance back and to the left gave her the location of the building she would need to use as a step up. Without waiting to see if Bumblebee was going to do as she said, she took off, sprinting across the parking lot at an angle. _Three – two – _

She wasn't quite fast enough. A cat-shaped projectile slammed into her shoulder and exploded, sending her flying backward into the store window with a crash and a grunt of pain. Smoke swirled around her, covering the air in a thick pink haze that made it difficult to see Professor Princess above her.

The child didn't seem to have any trouble seeing Riella, though, pointing a small wand at her. "Come on, Powdered Sugar! We'll save everyone from this big naughty robot!"

"Powdered Sugar?" Riella groaned and rolled over, pushing herself upright with a wince. Melted plating sparked and crackled along her shoulder and side. "_Really?_ Isn't it your nap time?"

The outraged squeak from the girl drew a rare smirk from the Autobot, who ejected her battle blades and dropped into an attack stance. "Okay. Let's get this over with."

Another cat-shaped explosive ripped through the concrete, barely missing Riella's left leg. She ignored it, diving forward and rolling out of the way of several more razor flowers. The movement put her almost directly under Professor Princess, exactly where she wanted to be. _Perfect._

She backflipped onto a fallen car, kicked off, and launched herself into a flying strike with her left battle blade out. The car gave her just enough extra height, and the blade slammed through the robot unicorn's underside, ripping out the propulsion system. Professor Princess hit the ground seconds later, and immediately started wailing.

Riella brushed a few remaining shards of glass off her shoulders and turned to look at Bumblebee, Sari, and the half-dozen humans behind her. "See, that's how you do it."

An engine rumble and a ground-shaking thud indicated Bulkhead's arrival. The biggest of the Autobots looked down at the child on the ground, then at Riella. "I thought you were going to wait for backup."

"Why would I wait for you?" Riella shrugged, ignoring the pain from her wounded shoulder. "I had it covered."

"Covered?" Bulkhead pointed to the injury. "You could've been offlined!"

"Ha. Nothing a moment with the Key won't fix. Speaking of which…" Riella stared pointedly at Sari until the girl pulled out the Key. "I'd kind of like my range of motion back."

"Yeah, sure. No problem." Sari reached up for Riella's arm, but instead of picking her up, the Autobot crouched low enough for her to reach the key slot. Sari rolled her eyes, stood on tiptoe, and turned the Key.

As usual, it hurt. Riella ignored the off-beat pulsing from her spark; the Key wouldn't fix it. It never had. Flexing her shoulder slightly, she straightened up and gestured to the other two. "Okay, we're done here. I've got patrol." Without waiting for a response, she transformed and took off, back to her self-assigned patrol route.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Edited chapter two. Very few changes, just better writing.**

**Chapter Two**

Tires screeched on the pavement as Riella sped back into the base, skidding to a halt and transforming all in one motion. Optimus looked up from one of the monitors with a frown. "Where are the others?"

Riella tossed her head irritably. "I don't know. On their way back, I would _hope_. Unless they got distracted by something as important as playing catch with trees."

Optimus's optics narrowed. "You could stand to show a little respect for your teammates. Learning about this planet isn't a bad thing."

"Whatever you say, _commander_," Riella said flippantly, turning away. "You're the boss, right? Not like you ever make mistakes, like pulling me off a patrol route to deal with something Bumblebee should've handled on his own."

The red and blue Autobot stood up angrily. "You know, I've had just about enough of your attitude, Riella."

"Sure." Riella rolled her optics and stalked off toward her room. "Let me know when you've gotten past 'just about'."

"Riella!" Temper got the better of Optimus, and he grabbed her arm to stop her. "We aren't – "

The instant he touched her, Riella's optics flashed white and her entire frame went rigid. She spun on her heel, tearing her arm out of his grip, and slammed her free hand up into his chest, knocking him several steps back. "Get the _frag _away from me, you son of a – "

"Hey, break it up, you two!" Ratchet, having heard the commotion, had arrived just in time. "Take it easy. We're all on the same side here."

Riella stayed where she was, crouched slightly in an attack stance and practically snarling at Optimus. "I don't care if you're a Prime! You _ever _touch me again, and I'll tear your arm off."

"_Riella,_" Ratchet cut in sharply. "Enough. He didn't hurt you. Stand down. I need to talk to you."

The fembot waited just long enough to make it clear she was doing it because she wanted to, sighed, shot one final glare at Optimus, and opened the medbay door. "Fine."

Ratchet barely had time to follow before Riella slammed the door. The medic sighed and gestured toward the chair. "Sit down, kid. This might take a while."

Riella debated whether or not to argue, and finally decided against it, slumping into the chair. Winning an argument with Ratchet was much, much harder than baiting Optimus. "Hmmph. What's going on?"

Ratchet sat down on the exam table opposite her. "What do you think?"

"Oh, not you too." Riella groaned and curled up in the chair, leaning her chin on her hand. "I don't work with a team, Ratchet. Deal with it."

"No. Your attitude is affecting everyone else." Ratchet pointed one finger at her. "Like it or not, we're a team now. When we get back to Cybertron, you can go your own way. But for now, we need to work together. Your insistence on working alone, and your disrespect when you don't get what you want, is undermining our whole operation. Now, if there's a specific reason you don't want to work with others – a real one – then I'm listening. Is there something you need to get off your chestplate?"

"Um…" For a second, a crazy thought flashed through her processor. He was listening. Maybe, maybe, he'd be sympathetic. _No, no, no! Riella, no! Slag no! Are you insane? Don't even _think_ about it! _"I…no. I've never had any good teamwork experiences. That's all."

"Hmm." Ratchet studied her. "Any that resulted in trauma of some kind?"

What could it hurt? If it meant she didn't have to work with the others… "Sort of."

The medic nodded slowly. "That could explain a lot. It's possible your CPU was altered slightly as a result. I'm due to run full medical scans on everyone in a week, but I could do yours now if you'd like."

"NO!" Riella bolted out of the chair and was practically out the door before realizing just how far she'd overreacted. _Calm down! Calm down. Calmcalmcalm…. _"N-no. No. That won't be necessary. I…um…I t-told Prowl we could train together this afternoon."

"Riella." Ratchet stood up and locked optics with her. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No." She couldn't meet his stare. "I have to go. I'll leave Optimus alone, I promise. But – I have to go."

"If you say so." Ratchet watched as she left. As soon as she was out of sight, he checked the scanner that had been running the whole time and sighed. Nothing. She really needed a full scan, but given her reaction, that was likely to be a rather difficult experience.

As for Riella, the second she was through the medbay door, she fled, transforming and racing down the hallway as fast as she could possibly drive.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks again for the reviews! They make me happy!_

**Chapter Three**

The small outcropping of land was deserted, except for a few dragonflies and the blue fembot who sat at the water's edge, throwing pebbles at her reflection. She didn't look up when he arrived. "Can I_ help_ you, Prowl?"

The black and gold ninja stepped clear of the trees. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She threw the next pebble hard enough for water to splash her arm.

"Nothing. So I imagined you racing out of the base like there was a Sharkticon invasion."

Riella glared at the water. "It wasn't important."

Prowl sat down beside her. "You picked a fight with Optimus again, didn't you."

"None of your business!" Riella sent a larger rock flying into _his_ reflection. Unfortunately, the splash missed him. "Ratchet already got on my case about it. Don't you start, too."

"I wasn't." Prowl looked at her, but she was still staring at the water. "So you're mad at Ratchet."

"I didn't say that." Riella flicked a curious dragonfly off her shoulder. "Why are you out here anyway?"

"You missed your patrol shift," Prowl said flatly. "Remember, northern Detroit? Outskirts to Sumdac Tower?"

"Patrol? Oh slag!" Riella jumped upright, so fast she almost landed in the lake. "Is Optimus mad? Again?"

"He doesn't know. I covered it." Prowl gestured for her to sit back down.

"You did?" Riella turned to look at him for the first time during their conversation, surprise visible in her large optics, before she glanced sideways awkwardly. "Um…well, thanks."

"You're welcome, but don't let it happen again." Prowl gave her a stern glare. "I'd prefer not to take double shifts just because you can't bother to cooperate with anyone else."

"Hmmph." Riella kicked at the water.

"I'll take that as 'yes, Prowl, I understand'." The ninjabot stood up. "We should go back. If someone comes to find us, they'll notice you skipped patrol."

He started off into the trees, but was stopped abruptly by the sound of the fembot's voice. "Ratchet's running full medical scans next week."

Prowl turned slowly to meet her gaze. Was it his imagination, or was there fear in her optics?

"Please tell me that was a joke to get my attention."

She shook her head, jaw tight with concern. "I wish I could."

"So _that's_ what got you so upset." Prowl quickly moved back to her side.

Riella nodded silently, optics shuttering a few times. The black and gold Autobot reached out slowly, and when she didn't swat him away, tentatively rested one hand on her shoulder.

"What are we going to do?"

"_We?_" Riella raised one brow ridge. Her tone had a bite to it. "Prowl, I don't know how many times I have to say it. There is no 'we'. I don't need – "

"Riella!" Prowl interrupted before she could start a full-on tirade. "Riella. Face it. You can't do this alone." His voice almost, _almost_ sounded hurt. "You trusted me once. I thought you still did."

The fembot's ventilations cycled shakily. "I do trust you. You're the only one I trust."

"Then act like it." Prowl put one finger under her chin, pushing her face up gently so that she had to meet his optics. "Let me back in. Let me help."

"There's nothing you can do." Riella tossed her head, pulling away.

"Then why did you tell me?"

She honestly didn't have an answer for that.

Prowl stubbornly put his hand back on her shoulder. "You know why I think you still trust me? I think you know you need someone to help you."

"Oh, that's good. Coming from you? Mister 'Only one bot I depend on. Me'?" Riella glared at him.

"Look…" Prowl cleared his oral intake awkwardly. "I was wrong about that. I learned something, alright? And besides, it's not like I'm asking you to work with Bumblebee."

"Point taken." Riella cycled her vents again. "But…"

"What?" Prowl waited a moment for her response. "What is it?"

"I don't know…"

"Riella." Prowl's voice softened, just a little. "You know I mean what I'm saying. I will help you. I will do anything I can to make sure this isn't the end. You don't have to like that, but can you at least accept it as a fact?"

She lowered her head for a moment, then raised her chin determinedly and met his optics. "Alright. I can accept that."


	4. Chapter 4

_Surprise character this chapter! _

_And yes, Prowl does have a thing for Riella…*evil grin*_

**Chapter Four**

Metal limbs clicked against the rooftops as the menacing figure skittered from one to another, multiple red eyes focusing on the tallest building in the area. Just a little farther…

"Going somewhere?"

Blackarachnia spun and transformed rapidly, baring her fangs and hissing before recognizing the Autobot. "Well, look who decided to show up," she purred menacingly.

"I could say the same." Riella flicked one arm, activating the blade within it. "Get tired of hiding under a rock, spider?"

"You wish. _KHHHAA!_" Blackarachnia lunged forward, spider-legs flicking over her shoulders toward Riella's throat. The fembot dodged swiftly to the left, backflipping and slicing upward toward one spider-leg as it flicked back. An instant later, she was forced to drop her arm and step back, as the razor-sharp point lashed toward her elbow.

"How the slag – hey!" The instant Riella had backed up, Blackarachnia had taken off, running along the rooftops.

"Ohh no you don't, 'Con!" Riella dropped to the street below, transforming in mid-air and racing down the street at top speed. Half a block later, she reverted to robot mode and ducked around a corner, scrambling up the side of a building and positioning herself just a few feet below the edge of the roof. Her cables tensed as Blackarachnia approached – only to suddenly transform and skitter across the gap as Riella kicked off the building, flipping into the air and landing on the spider. Or at least, she planned to. Unfortunately, Blackarachnia shot sideways a mere second before Riella would have connected with her back, and it was all the blue Autobot could do to roll and come up on her feet instead of crashing head-first.

Blackarachnia returned to robot mode as well. "And here I thought you'd be the type to use textbook Academy moves. You almost won that one. Unfortunately, you were just a little _too_ quick."

"Meaning?" Riella stayed braced for an attack.

Blackarachnia purred. "That innocent approach might work on Optimus, but not me, sweetie. No one – ninja or not – reacts to something their opponent hasn't even done yet." She laughed softly as Riella's optics widened in horror. "And if I had any doubts before, I don't now. You've got to learn to act better."

"Fine." Riella squared her shoulders. "So is this where you threaten to turn me in if I don't do what you want?"

"Oh, that's right," Blackarachnia taunted. "If I turn you in, you'll end up just like I would have. Ripped apart on some lab table…conscious until they finally end it all and crush your spark." She smirked, displaying her small fangs. "I hear if you don't cause trouble, they do it fast…if you try to fight it, they just do it again, and again…"

Fury and terror in equal parts flashed across Riella's face. "SHUT UP!" Her second blade activated, and both whirled toward Blackarachnia at a speed designed to dissect the one on the receiving end. Less than a minute later, she was pinned to the ground by the much-larger Decepticon, who laughed mockingly.

"Oh, _so _reckless. Did I hit a nerve?"

"Get away from me!" Riella kicked upward with both feet, hammering Blackarachnia full-force in the midriff. The technorganic grunted, losing her balance and crashing onto the roof as Riella twisted sideways, rolling and coming up in a crouching attack stance. Blue optics wide and unfocused, vents working frantically to keep her body from overheating, she looked like she'd just woken up from a nightmare.

Her vocalizer rasped painfully as she forced the words out. "You won't…hurt anyone else. Do what you want to me…but I won't let you hurt my teammates."

"So _loyal_." Blackarachnia's tone practically dripped sarcasm. "Oh, don't worry, I won't turn you in to the Elite Guard – that'd be like handing myself in. I'm just as much of a freak as you are. But what if your precious team found out why you won't work with them?"

Riella straightened up determinedly. "You won't! They'd never believe you."

"Why does it matter to you?" Blackarachnia hissed suddenly. "Why stay with 'bots who would view you as nothing but a freak if you told them the truth? They abandoned me to become – _this_! How do you know they won't do the same to you?"

Riella started to retort, then abruptly stopped. Blackarachnia laughed. "I thought so. You don't know. And what would your boyfriend think if he found out?"

"My what?" Riella stared at her.

"The _other_ ninja, the one who's always around when you are. What would he think if he found out that his precious little girlfriend was a _flaw_? An assembly line mistake?" 

"STOP IT!" Riella stepped backward as if the words were lasers, optics flashing with rage. "First of all, Prowl is not my boyfriend, and second, he _knows_!"

She regretted her impulsive revelation instantly, as Blackarachnia locked onto it. "Oh really? I thought you didn't tell just _anyone_ these things. So, you're always around – Prowl, was it? On a first name basis, I see – he's obviously the only one you trust, and it's _absolute_, and you're still insisting you're just friends? Sorry, sweetie, but that's just not how it works."

Riella bit down hard on her lower lip component, frustrated by the way the technorganic was acting like they were _friends_, or at least knew each other. While trying to kill her. "Blackarachnia, since when do you care what happens to an Autobot? Whatever you want, just get on with it."

"Alright, alright." Blackarachnia waved one hand dismissively. "Let's put it this way. You can't give me what I really want. But there's something I can get from you, and it's going to be useful until it wears off."

Riella tried to dodge, but Blackarachnia caught her ankle with a shimmering purple spider-string, pinning her down. "Nice try, but not quite enough. And just for the record?" The spider-legs pierced either side of Riella's neck, sending pain through her shoulders and up to her CPU. As the world went dark, Blackarachnia whispered into her audio.

"I won't turn you in."


	5. Chapter 5

_Yes, there is a lot going on with Riella…and don't worry if you didn't get it, it's not meant to make sense at this point. You're welcome to guess, though!_

She came back online slowly, her vision powering up to reveal yellow and black. Someone had removed her from the rooftop, apparently.

"Unh. Prowl? Bumblebee?"

"That's us! Wow, you really got hit hard, huh? I'm gonna guess it was that bug-bot lady. You know, I didn't think there was much that could knock you out…"

"Bumblebee, mute it or I'll do it for you. Riella, are you alright?" Yes, that was _definitely_ Prowl.

"Fine." She started to sit up, but a brief flash of pain – a very late warning sign - shot from her chest to her processor. "Uh…Prowl? Actually…"

He got the message. "Right…um…you're still paralyzed. Bumblebee, go back to base, tell the others she's fine. I'll wait for it to wear off."

Bumblebee pouted. "Aww, why do I have to go? Why can't you just comm?"

"**Go.**" Prowl's tone was not one that could be argued with.

Bumblebee transformed and drove off, still grumbling. Prowl rested one hand on Riella's shoulder, pushing her back down. "Just lie still."

The fembot gasped at another jolt of pain, and her vision started to blur. "…Prowl…"

"Right here…"

And that was the last thing she heard before the world dissolved around her.

_Heavy hands claw at her chest plating, ripping it back as she shrieks, trying to protect herself with both hands…only to have pain rip through the back of her forearms as the brutal claws tear into the metal skin. She continues to scream and struggle, she is so small compared to them, so helpless, but nothing can suppress the survival instinct…and even as one hand closes around her spark, she is fighting, raking sharp fingertips across the hand…then her small hand, reaching out, clutching for something, anything, finds a heavy object, and she doesn't think, she just rams it into her attacker, again and again, as oil splatters across her face and chest, mingling with her own oil…and she wrenches herself free and runs, pushing away the pain, not looking back…_

The brutal images flickered and faded, to be replaced by Prowl's familiar face. Dimly, Riella realized that at some point he had lifted her so that her shoulders were resting on one of his knees, and inanely she wondered why he continued to hold her, because she was shaking uncontrollably.

He brushed a few droplets of condensation off her forehead with his free hand. "You okay?"

"Do I…_look_ okay?" she snapped, trying to suppress the terror still gripping her spark.

Prowl winced slightly. "Alright. Not my brightest question. I'm just worried about you."

"Well, don't be." Riella tried to push herself into a sitting position, but fell back. "Slag. Worry more about the fact that Blackarachnia caught on to my little secret."

"What? How?" Prowl's optics widened behind his visor.

Riella shrugged slightly. "That's the problem with fighting a smart opponent. They tend to notice that you're reading what they're going to do before they do it, and then to figure out that you're tapped into their brain waves. It's not exactly rocket science. You figured it out, after all."

"Ouch."

"Sorry." Riella leaned back into his supporting arm. "Didn't mean that."

"I know." Prowl reached over to continue stroking her forehead soothingly. "You're upset, that's all. I'm used to it."

"Yeah, but…" Why was it so hard to say this? "I…uh…I shouldn't have said it. Not when you were just trying to help. You didn't deserve it."

Prowl's narrow lips curved into a rare slight smile. "Apology accepted."

Riella offlined her optics and settled back, as her shaking gradually calmed under Prowl's gentle touch.

Then they both jumped as tires screeched around the corner at the end of the street. Prowl sighed. "Riella, did I tell Bumblebee to go _get_ the others, or just to go _tell_ them?"

"You said to go tell them." Riella tried to sit up again, and would have fallen back again if Prowl hadn't quickly caught her arm and hooked it around his neck, allowing her to pull herself upright. She slumped against his chest, embarrassed by her forced dependence on his help – and the conclusions the others were sure to draw.

"Prowl, you have to help me get up."

Prowl steadied her as she tried to pull away. "What? You can't even sit up alone."

Riella pushed at his chest, but because of the way he was holding her – he was _holding_ her? Slag, this was so awkward – it was completely ineffective. "Prowl! I'm serious!"

"What is with you?" Prowl tightened his grip around her shoulders and waist. "You were fine with my help a minute ago."

"A minute ago the others weren't here," she hissed. "Now let go of me."

"No." Prowl held her firmly, ignoring her rather weak struggles. "Stop that. Do you want Ratchet to end up scanning you right here because you fell down?"

The warning ended Riella's struggles, but she glared icily at the other ninja. "You are _so_ going to regret this," she growled under her breath as Bumblebee, Optimus, Bulkhead, Sari, and Ratchet approached.

"I'm sure," Prowl retorted irritably. "What are you going to do, let Bumblebee interrupt my meditations?"

"Aww, look!" Both ninjas tensed at Bumblebee's loud voice. "They really do like each other!"

Prowl groaned. "Bumblebee, would you just shut up?"

"But you guys are so _cute!_" Sari hopped out of Bulkhead's passenger-side door. "C'mon, admit it, you sent Bumblebee away so you could hang out!"

Riella buried her face in Prowl's shoulder, her normally pale cheeks burning with embarrassment.

_Hope you guys are okay with the Prowl/Riella interactions here. I wasn't planning on it getting quite so romance-y (that's not a word, is it…oh well) just yet, but I was listening to "I See The Light" from Tangled and this scene just kind of wrote itself. _

_Review please! :D_


	6. Chapter 6

_Here we go again…more tension, drama, and Riella being weird!_

**Chapter Six**

Sari looked uncertainly from Bumblebee to the two ninjabots in the other room. "Do they do this often?"

"Actually, not really. Usually she cusses me out instead." The small yellow bot shook his head. "But maybe they do and we just never see it."

"It" was hard not to see this time. Riella and Prowl were facing off in the center of the rec room, yelling. Well, Riella was yelling. Prowl wasn't quite to that point yet. 

"Did you even think it through? Did _anything_ get through your processor at that point?"

"Will you drop it?" Prowl snapped right back. "How was I supposed to know things would turn out that way?"

"Oh, _right!_" Riella was in full-on rant mode. "You couldn't have known! Except for the fact that this happens _every pit-slagged time!_ Is that the excuse you're giving me now? 'I couldn't have known the others would make assumptions'? You slagging well could have thought it through!"

Prowl lost it. "I DID! You_ needed_ help, so quit acting like you didn't! You were just _fine_ with it until they showed up! You _wanted_ my help!"

_CLANGG!_

Bumblebee and Sari gaped in shock as Riella lowered her hand, a slightly red imprint of her palm already forming on Prowl's cheek.

Prowl blinked, raising one tan and black hand to touch the stinging mark. "Riella!…"

"Leave me alone!" The fembot turned away, transforming and bolting out of the base.

Ratchet stomped out of the medbay, followed closely by Optimus. "What is all the racket out here?"

"Um…" Prowl quickly dropped his hand back to his side. "Just…a little disagreement."

"Really?" Optimus pointed at him. "Then what's with the dent?"

Prowl shrugged awkwardly. "Riella was…on edge." That was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Optimus threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Riella again? Why is it _always_ Riella? Let me guess; you looked at her wrong. Or maybe she just decided now was as good a time as any to cause a few problems."

"Not exactly..." Prowl honestly didn't know how to explain.

Optimus growled something incoherent and left, still muttering about insubordinate fembots. Ratchet grunted and gestured to Prowl. "C'mon, kid. You're up next."

Prowl hesitated before following the medic. Something told him that Ratchet wanted to see him in private for more than a medical scan.

Sure enough, the minute the medbay door closed, Ratchet turned on the ninja-bot. "Well?"

"Well what?" Prowl tried to look as innocent as possible. It just managed to make him look like he was about to glitch. Ratchet wasn't buying it.

The medic sat down in the nearest chair and glared. "What's with Riella? And don't give me that slag about 'edgy'. She just about offlined when I told her I would be running full scans. What's wrong with her?"

Prowl stared uncomfortably at the nearest monitor screen. "Why would I know?"

"Don't give me that either." Ratchet shook a finger at him. "If she told anyone, it'd be you. So, as your medic and hers, I'm _insisting_ that you tell me why she doesn't want to be scanned. If the scan might actually harm her, I'll find a way around it."

Prowl shrugged awkwardly. Ratchet made a lot of sense, but he'd _promised_. Riella would never forgive him if he betrayed her, and even if she did, he would never forgive himself. He would have to find some other way to help her.

"Some of her past experiences with scans were difficult." It was true, although the _scan_ hadn't been the traumatic part.

"Hmm." Ratchet eyed him with a suspicious look. "I'll have to check that with her. Find out what _exactly_ happened. Unless you'd care to elaborate?"

The black and gold ninja shook his head mutely. Ratchet snorted. "Thought so. You might want to protect your girlfriend, but she's got to start being honest with us."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

Ratchet ignored the ninja's protest, pushing him back to lie down on the exam table and grabbing a scanner. "Call it what you want, kid. You're only fooling yourself."

The sleek blue motorcycle raced out of the city limits, ignoring all possible safety concerns until a semi-truck nearly flattened her. Skidding off the road and transforming far too fast for comfort, Riella crashed back-first into a tree and collapsed to her knees, vents working frantically to keep her from overheating. Her vision flickered between the road in front of her and images from her past, from the results of the last scan.

"_You're positive? I never thought…" Voices echo, as she fights the restraints. "There's no mistaking it, I'm surprised it wasn't caught before, but at least we know before any damage was done…"_

"No…" Riella struggled to her feet, stumbling back, away from the road, running, hiding. But the visions wouldn't leave.

"_We'll deal with it, don't worry…"… "Reprogramming. That might work, especially at this development stage."…Moving, they're going somewhere…more restraints… "NO!"_

She fell down again, gasping and trying to push the memories away.


	7. Chapter 7

_This chapter will have more information about Riella's past, and the answer to why she's so different. Lots of flashbacks, and again, don't worry if you don't understand all of it. You'll get the whole story eventually. The final flashback in this chapter takes place right before the one in chapter 5. _

_Also, my apologies for the butchered German accent. I'm horrible at writing accents in general, and Blitzwing in particular._

The jet's engines hummed slightly louder than necessary, as it circled over the city. A red dot beeped on the scanner, indicating an Autobot signal below.

"Hmm. Zis is different." Blitzwing transformed in mid-air, letting himself fall toward the city below. "An Autobot out alone? Zat is not how zhey normally operate."

Riella struggled to stay upright, pressing against a tree trunk. Her fingertips scraped through the bark, leaving deep gashes as the fembot stumbled away, optics flickering and dimming as repeated flashbacks assaulted her.

"_Leave me alone! NO!" She flails against the restraining hands, ripping away the cables attached to her neck. "NO!" Voices echo, replying, not to her, no, she's nothing but a machine to them. To each other. "Reprogramming isn't going to work on this one. Too much fight."_

Blitzwing watched the Autobot lash out at the air. "Zis is _very_ different." His face shifted, going from blue to red. "WHO CARES? ZHE IS AN AUTOBOT! I VILL DESTROY HER!"

Riella jerked out of her memories with a groan, staring up at the sky from where she'd landed on her back. She blinked and ran a few diagnostics through her processor, praying desperately that for once, just _once_, her senses would be glitching.

No such luck, of course. She hadn't been that fortunate since she was Sari's age, why would it be any different now?

Trying to slow her ventilations, the blue fembot pushed herself to her feet, waiting for the inevitable attack.

The ground shuddered slightly as the heavy tank slammed down, thundering toward the much smaller Autobot with both cannons blazing. Riella backflipped, dodging and changing positions rapidly, taking advantage of the tank's limited mobility compared to her own.

Unfortunately, she'd neglected to consider the effect of a personality switch.

One second, she was ducking under the cannon fire; the next, she was slamming down full-force on her back, CPU spinning as insane laughter echoed above her. Her head jerked back and her optics flashed as memories took over yet again.

_Still screaming, incoherently, unable to understand even her own words now. Probably something along the lines of the words she'd learned from the older kids at the care facility, she thinks irrelevantly. Then her thoughts are violently ripped back to the situation as she is dragged upright, rough hands opening the restraints, pulling her toward the outside with no chance to escape. _

A savage punch just barely missed her head as she twisted sideways, fighting to maintain a grip on reality.

"_No! Please!" Her screams are abruptly cut off by a savage slap that stuns her briefly. She doesn't stop struggling – fight or flight is now so ingrained that nothing short of death or safety will stop it – but her mind loses all coherence, and she can barely hear the angry words being spat in her direction. _

"_Primus-cursed _glitch_! Will you stop that! I haven't had this much trouble since the last full-frame ended up here!"_

_She shrieks again, desperately lashing out, trying to do something, ANYTHING._

Blitzwing staggered and almost fell, doubling over. Riella used the intervening seconds to scramble away and get back on her feet; apparently the standard 'aim between the legs' attack still worked on Decepticons, even with their thicker armor.

Then ice clouded her vision, and she gasped, frantically trying to clear her optics as the Decepticon charged.

_She crumples to the ground, pain ripping through her body as she slams into the unyielding stone. In the one instant of his distraction, she frantically kicks out at her attacker, only to be knocked back to the ground brutally as he curses in her direction._

"_Slaggin' pit-spawned telepaths!"_

Riella's vision returned just in time to see Blitzwing's fist crashing down toward her face. In one last-ditch, desperate effort, she did the one thing she had never wanted to do: she deliberately synchronized her processor waves with another Autobot's and hoped her thoughts would get through.

_Prowl! I need your help –_

She never finished the sentence. Unconsciousness tended to eliminate that possibility.

_Yep! Riella is telepathic! :D _

_Review please! Questions/suggestions/etc are very welcome! _


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks for the reviews, everybody! I appreciate it! Sorry I made you wait so long for this chapter. Grimlock's speech was giving me fits and almost blew out the spellchecker. ;)_

**Chapter Eight**

"PROWL! Watch it!"

Sari's yelp jolted the ninja out of his semi-daze. "What?"

"You just about stepped on her!" Bumblebee shook his head and looked at Sari. "I knew this day would come. All that meditation finally fried his circuits."

"Shut. Up."

Prowl's snappishness caught everyone's attention. Bulkhead blinked. "Whoa. I think you're overdue for another hard drive defrag."

"Prowl, are you alright?" Optimus gave the irritable ninja a concerned look. "Is there something going on?"

"No." Prowl turned his back on the others and started for the door. "I'm going for a drive."

Ratchet sighed. "When you catch up with Riella, tell her to get her aft back here before I come find her."

"Hmmph." Prowl transformed and disappeared down the street. Optimus turned to Ratchet. "How do you know he's going to find her?"

Ratchet chuckled. "You haven't noticed? He's been pacing like a caged cyber-cat ever since she left. Doesn't take much to add up the dots."

_Pain, so much pain, ripping through her chest and hands and arms and __everywhere__. But safety is so close; just meters away! Hands grasp her shoulders, then an arm locks around her aching chest and her hands are pinned behind her. She tries to thrash away from the restraints, but a shock tears through her circuitry, immobilizing her…_

Megatron stared at the battered blue Autobot lying on the ground in front of him. Her optics were online, but dulled, and she didn't react when he leaned down to stare straight into her face. Nor had she responded when dumped on the floor of the Decepticon base, beyond a slight whimper.

"You. Autobot!"

No response, again. Megatron stepped off to the side and with no warning, kicked the blue fembot hard in the chest, just above the fuel tanks.

_A savage kick jolts her into awareness – as much awareness as there can be, here. The pain changes, sharper, piercing through the partial numbness from the shock, causing her to cough raggedly and instinctively curl into a ball._

"Hmm." Megatron studied the fembot curiously. She had obviously felt that. Possibly faking something? "Blitzwing, put her in the energy cell for now."

Prowl nearly kicked a street light in frustration, but stopped when a human gave him an odd look. Where the slag would Riella have gone?

_Oh…wait. Where did she go last time? _

Twenty minutes later, Prowl skidded onto the shore of what had been dubbed "Dinobot Island" by most of the Autobots. Transforming and sending a shower of water everywhere, the ninjabot called quietly. "Riella? You here?"

Nothing. Puzzled, he started toward the center of the island. Sure, she might not want to use her telepathy, but it wasn't exactly a huge place, and they were fairly attuned to each other. She should have at least picked up his energy signal, if nothing else.

A crunching sound off to the left alerted him to someone's presence. "Riella, is that you?"

"Me Grimlock DESTROOOOY!"

No. That was definitely not Riella.

"Grimlock, stop!" Prowl held up one hand. "Remember me? I brought you here. I will not harm you!"

Grimlock growled. "Car robots BAD! Cycle robots…good."

The ninjabot groaned internally, but decided not to try and fix the Dinobot's perception of the Autobots. Finding Riella was priority. "Grimlock, have you seen Riella? The female cycle robot?"

"Uh." Grimlock was apparently thinking very hard, at least for a Dinobot. "Me Grimlock see girl-bot with you."

"No, I mean, have you seen her today?" Prowl resisted the urge to scream it.

"Me Grimlock not see her." Grimlock looked around as if expecting Riella to jump out of the bushes. "Girl-bot here?"

Prowl shrugged. "Maybe. I hoped you would know."

"Huh. Me Grimlock find others. You cycle robot stay here." Before Prowl could comment, Grimlock had thundered off into the trees, disappearing quickly in spite of his bulk. With a slight sigh, the ninja sat down to wait.

_She twists, trying to fight the restraints, but the shock immobilizes her once again. She whimpers helplessly, just a child trapped in a nightmare from which there is no awakening. It's so dark and cold, and it hurts so much, but there is no help here. Just pain, and more pain, and then the end._

Lugnut's single optic blinked as he watched the fembot. Megatron had said to guard her, and so he would, for as long as it took. But why was she acting so odd? Puzzled, he tapped lightly on the energy cell wall, but got no reaction.

_Soft clicks escape her vocalizer, locked up with terror and pain, but she tries to mute them. She will not let them break her. If die she must, she will die fighting. Not sobbing pathetically, pleading to live, like so many others she's seen here. _

Swoop, the pterodactyl Dinobot, landed in front of Prowl with a thud, sending a shower of dirt everywhere. Grimlock and Snarl stomped out of the woods behind him. All three Dinobots looked uncharacteristically happy.

"Me Swoop see girl-bot," the pterodactyl announced. "Her with him flying robot. Me Swoop follow, but flying robot and girl-bot disappear."

"Flying robot? A Decepticon?" Prowl jumped upright. "Who? Where?"

"Me Swoop not know who him flying robot." The Dinobot shrugged. "Him and girl-bot on other side, by water. Not in Dinobot terr-i-tory." He seemed very pleased with his pronunciation of the last word.

Prowl had to translate that slightly, but apparently it meant that the Decepticon and Riella had been on the far side of the island. And if they were together…. "That can't possibly be good," he muttered quietly.

"What not good?" Grimlock tipped his head, in a movement that looked oddly like Riella's usual response to something she hadn't quite picked up.

"Riella's been captured by the Decepticons. I need you to help me find her!"

The three Dinobots looked at each other. Snarl, oddly enough, was the one to speak. "Me Snarl not like…but girl-bot help Dinobots. Us Dinobots help find girl-bot."

Grimlock added his own warning. "But that ALL. Dinobots not get hurt fighting flying-bot."


	9. Chapter 9

_Here we go…finally! The big rescue! Took me long enough, huh? ;) Thanks for the reviews! Appreciated as always! _

_The last half of this chapter is way better if you listen to "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence while reading it. Just FYI. _

Prowl inched toward the edge of the cliff, then backed away quickly as the rock threatened to crumble. "Are you sure this is the last place you saw them?"

Swoop nodded. "Me Swoop see them down at bottom. That side." He pointed one wing to the left.

"Hmm." Prowl studied the cliff wall. "There might be a cave opening down there. Did you see one? Swoop?"

The pterodactyl was already disappearing behind the trees. Prowl sighed. "Fine. I'll go alone."

One quick jump-jet-leap later, Prowl crouched behind a rock, staring at a dark hole in the cliff. _I don't know if you can hear me, Riella. But if you can, hang on. I'm going to get you out of there. _

Riella's body twitched slightly, not quite enough to activate the stasis cuffs.

_The words penetrate the cold and the pain and the numbness around her, waking something inside her. _Hang on. I'm going to get you out of there. _Someone is out there. Someone is coming._

Prowl ducked behind a small outcropping on the side of the tunnel and activated his hologram projector just in time, as Blitzwing marched past him. Clearly, Megatron was watching the entrance carefully. The black and gold Autobot smiled grimly. "Didn't count on Cyber-Ninjas, did you?"

Prowl waited for Blitzwing to return. The moment the Decepticon had passed him again, he leaped toward the ceiling, gripping onto the rocks, and carefully inched his way further into the Decepticon base.

Back at the Autobot warehouse, Optimus was pacing the front room for what felt like the billionth time. "What's _keeping_ them?"

"Relax, boss-bot." Bumblebee and Sari were seated on the couch, playing video games as usual. "You prob'ly don't want to know what they're doing anyway."

It only took Optimus a moment to get the idea. The young Autobot leader shuddered. "You just _had_ to say it! If no one minds, I'm going to go run a hard drive defrag and hopefully erase every last one of those thoughts."

"Save it for later, kid." Ratchet changed the TV channel.

"HEY!" Sari protested. "What're you doing?"

"In case you hadn't noticed…" Ratchet pointed to the news broadcast.

"…the ship seems to be landing just outside Detroit," the human on the screen announced. "While it bears a certain resemblance to the Autobots, we cannot be sure of its identity…"

Optimus stared at the image. "Is that…an Elite Guard ship?"

"I'd say so," Ratchet shrugged. "Looks like someone's found us. I just hope Prowl found Riella…"

"Why? She can take care of herself, can't she?" Bulkhead stepped on an empty oil barrel. "Oops."

"I dunno." Ratchet sighed and started toward the door. "Just…got a funny feeling that something's not right."

"I have a _really _bad feeling about this." Prowl, crouched just outside the entrance to the Decepticons' headquarters, figured that since Riella and Ratchet weren't there to say it, someone had to, although he made sure to whisper. "And we're all gonna die, right? There. We're back to normal. Now, about getting in…"

"SILENCE!"

Prowl almost jumped out of his armor before he realized that Megatron wasn't yelling at him. The Decepticon leader was chewing out Blitzwing, who at the moment was on his Random personality and probably didn't care.

"You brought the Autobot here. Now I want your reasoning! Why bring me a useless shell? I haven't gotten more out of her than a couple of pathetic whines. Give me one good reason why you didn't just kill her!"

_You hurt her, Megatron? You dared hurt her? You dared even TOUCH her?_ Prowl had to hold back a scream of fury. The precious moments spent regaining some control of his emotions caused him to miss the next part of the conversation, but the ninja was jerked back to the present by Megatron's irritated yelling. "Incompetent glitch! I expect more than _this_ from you. Return to guarding the entrance…and if so much as a _bug_ slips past, you'll regret it!"

"As you wish, Herr Kommandant," Blitzwing retorted, barely making it out of the door before Megatron took a swing at him.

_She tries not to cry. Someone will come, they said so…but her spark hurts so much, more than normal. When? Will they ever come for her? _

Lugnut made his way closer to the energy cell. Was the fembot moving more now? Something seemed to have changed. Perhaps he should alert Megatron. After all, the glorious leader had ordered a report on any reactions from her.

The comlink buzzed, inactive. With a slight "hmmph" sound, the huge Decepticon turned away and stomped into the next room, where the mineral deposits were thinner.

The instant Lugnut was out of sight, Prowl sprinted to the energy cell, frantically whispering. "Riella! Riella, can you hear me?"

_The world shifts again. Dim, eerie light covers the room. She still can't see. But there's a voice. Someone is there…but the cuffs still hold her down, shocking her, forcing her to stay still…_

"Riella!" Prowl desperately worked at the controls. "Come on, come on…how does this thing work?"

A heavy footstep echoed through the room, and Prowl ducked behind the console just in time. Lugnut looked around, shrugged, and disappeared back through the door.

There was no way he was going to hack into the control system before the guard came back. Prowl opted for the direct route: the top of the cell was open to the ceiling. Once he reached it, though, there was a slight problem. Blinking lights on the floor indicated an alarm system.

"Of course. That would have been too easy." There was still another option; unfortunately, it required Riella's cooperation, and she didn't look capable of doing much beyond just lying there. _What did they do to you? _

Prowl took careful aim with the shuriken. There was still a chance that she might be able to react, if she was free.

_Suddenly, a blade slices through the cuffs, and she jerks away in shock, with a frightened cry that is cut off as pain jolts through her entire frame. "No…please!" But a voice calls to her, reaching past the terror. Someone she knows, someone she trusts. _Riella, it's alright…look up.

To Prowl's relief, the fembot's optics flickered, then onlined. They were dulled with pain and fear and confusion, but there was still recognition. "You…*khht*…came…"

"Yes, I'm here, shh…" Prowl secured his grip on the rocks and looked nervously in the direction Lugnut had gone. They only had a moment or two. "Riella, I need you to reach up to me. I'll pull you up, and then we'll get out of here. Okay?"

Riella's optics flickered again. "I…can't…hurts."

"I know, but you have to trust me!" Prowl could hear Lugnut's heavy footsteps. They were out of time. He stretched his arm down as far as possible, trying to send a mental sense of confidence and safety to the telepath. "Riella…take my hand."

For one terrifying second, she didn't move. Then, with a gasp and almost inaudible cry, Riella pushed herself upright and grasped Prowl's wrist. One desperate, arm-wrenching lift later, and she was held against the other ninja's chestplate, her head dropping limply against his upper arm just as Lugnut entered the room.

Holding Riella tightly with his free arm, Prowl scrambled backward and up out of view, crouching on a small ledge. Almost miraculously, it took Lugnut a few moments to notice the broken cuffs and empty cell, but when he did…

"LORD MEGATRON! THE PRISONER HAS DISAPPEARED!"

The ninjabot winced at the volume and activated his holoprojector, muttering under his breath. "Now where do we go?"

"I…ahh…" Riella's optics onlined briefly as she struggled to pull herself higher against Prowl's shoulder, whimpering slightly with pain. Driven by something he didn't fully understand, Prowl removed his visor, meeting her gaze directly for the first time in stellar cycles. The pain and terror she was communicating made his spark hurt, and he pulled her closer.

"Shh…it's okay. You're safe."

"Where we go…I don't…care." Riella struggled to force the words out of a damaged vocalizer. "Just…promise…you won't let…me…go."

Prowl leaned forward to rest his forehead gently against hers as her optics offlined again. "I promise."

_Review please! :D_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for the reviews! I'm thrilled that people are enjoying this! _

_Yes, quite a bit of the early dialogue is taken from the episode "The Elite Guard". I don't own it. _

Optimus saluted as the trio of Elite Guard members made their way down the ramp. "Welcome to Earth, Commander."

Ultra Magnus nodded to him briefly. "Thank you, Optimus Prime. Jazz, set up a force-field to quarantine us from these organics."

"You sure that's necessary, Commander?" Jazz studied the humans gathered well away from the ship. "I wouldn't mind getting a closer look."

"You might think differently after your circuitry rusts out from the inside from contact," Sentinel Prime sneered. "Trust me, nothing good can come from them. Isn't that right, _Optimus_?"

Optimus glared at him as the force-field lowered. Ultra Magnus continued. "Sentinel Prime, decontaminate Optimus Prime and his crew."

"With pleasure, sir," Sentinel replied, smirking in their direction.

As the four of them reluctantly followed Sentinel and Jazz up the ramp, Bumblebee glanced up at Bulkhead and stage-whispered. "We're just lucky Prowl and Riella aren't here. Prowl would be really ticked at the stuff about organics, and Riella…well, she'd prob'ly just throw something. Really hard."

"Oh slag," Optimus muttered softly. "Where are they? And how in the Pit am I supposed to explain that the two Autobots I reported as joining my crew have gone AWOL?"

Huddled in a small crevice in the wall of the Decepticon base, Prowl checked to make sure the holographic disguise was still in place before gently cradling Riella's unconscious frame against his chest again. He let his engine hum, almost inaudibly, knowing that the vibrations were comforting to her.

"It'll be okay," he murmured quietly, taking advantage of the fact that his mouth was very close to her audio fin. "I'll get you out of here. Somehow. Just…don't ask how."

The heavy thud of Lugnut's footsteps echoed around the ceiling, and Prowl hugged Riella closer and looked up at the rock, just a few inches away from his face. _I wonder…could I wait until he moves, and then slip past him? No…I'm not nearly as quiet when I'm carrying someone. And I can't transform to outrun him, not with her. _

Lugnut turned and made his way across the room again. The ninjabot relaxed and watched the Decepticon; Lugnut's method of guarding looked like a demonstration of 'how not to stand guard'. If it hadn't been for Riella, Prowl could have easily gotten away. Of course, leaving her was completely out of the question; something was wrong with her beyond just the flashbacks. Prowl suspected the old spark damage had probably caught up with her. Either way, she needed a medic quickly.

Suddenly, Prowl tensed. Blitzwing was yelling from another room. "LUGNUT! ZHE MUST HAVE LEFT BY ZHE OZHER ZIDE!"

Lugnut thundered in the direction of the voice. The instant he was out of sight, Prowl tightened his grip on Riella and bolted for the door. _Hold on, Riella…I know something's not right, but I'm going to take care of you._

Once in the tunnel, Prowl crouched against the rock and activated a hologram of a large rock, looking down at the fembot in his arms. He thought he'd felt some movement…

Her blue optics flickered, then onlined, far too bright and wide with panic. "Prowl…*khht*…ow…" Her face twisted in pain, then her frame jerked and convulsed as her optics whited out. Horrified, Prowl held her tighter, but the convulsions didn't stop. They worsened, jolting her entire frame and drawing soft pained whimpers.

"No…" Prowl jumped upright, hologram deactivating as he sprinted down the hall, all thoughts of stealth forgotten in the need to get Riella help.

Ultra Magnus listened to Optimus's explanation with no change in expression. "I see. Optimus Prime, is it possible there is another reason why these two members of your team might be AWOL?"

"Um…sir?" Optimus couldn't quite figure out the question.

"You are assuming they've encountered some kind of trouble, even though they haven't called in and there is no reason to assume there are Decepticons on this planet."

"But, sir, we know – "

Ultra Magnus's faceplate shifted into a disapproving glare. "Let me finish, please, Optimus Prime. These two joined your group together and have quite a bit in common. Since they have both decided to leave with no explanation at the same time, would it not be a reasonable assumption that they have some form of romantic attraction, and that they are simply…dealing with that?"

Optimus blushed, which showed up a little too well under the lights. "NO! Nothing like that! They've both told us repeatedly that there's nothing between them, and anyway when Riella left, she was furious with Prowl! They wouldn't – just no way!"

"I see." The look on Ultra Magnus's face said quite clearly that he didn't believe a word of the explanation. "Until they call in for some kind of help, I suggest you remain in the area. Dismissed."

"But, commander – "

"Dismissed, Optimus Prime."

Shoulders slumping, Optimus left the command room. Ratchet met him with a similar expression. "I'm going to guess Magnus wasn't interested in our concerns."

"He thinks they're just…ugh." Optimus made a face. "I'm going to go look for them. Did Bumblebee take Sari home?"

Ratchet nodded. "Yes, and Bulkhead went with them. They'll go back to base later. I'll come with you; we'll find her."

"I'll come with ya."

Optimus spun around to see Jazz. The Elite Guard ninja grinned. "Whether the help's needed or not, I've been wantin' to give my new wheels a spin. An' I don't have a problem walkin' in on a couple of lovebirds."

The Prime turned an odd shade of red and grimaced before nodding. "I don't even want to know…but thank you."

Prowl huddled back against a tree, cradling Riella against him and trying to stay calm. The convulsions seemed to come in waves; at the moment, they were just barely there, enough to make her tremble from time to time, but not jerking her entire body the way they had before. "Riella…Riella, just hold on. Please…"

Riella's optics flickered painfully. "…help…me…"

"I know, I know…" Prowl rubbed gently between her shoulder fins. "You've got to hold on…I'm not going to leave you."

"…so…tired…hurts…" Riella's body jolted again, wrenching painfully in his arms. Her optics offlined again, and she cried out weakly. "…No…!"

Gasping, Prowl tightened his grip, clutching at her as if he could transfer some of his strength to her. "Riella! You have to stay with me…I know it hurts, but you have to stay with me!" He could feel her going limp, the only movement coming from the convulsions, and even those were weakening. Desperately, he pressed his forehead against hers, hoping to touch her mind. "Riella…please...please hold on…I love you."

She barely reacted, optics flickering a little before her body jerked again and she went limp.

"No!"

Prowl heard an engine revving not too far away, and braced himself for combat; if the Decepticons had caught up with them…But no. It was a sports car, which rapidly transformed into an Autobot with an Elite Guard symbol on the chestplate.

"Hey, man…looks like somethin' ain't right here, huh?" The stranger took a step toward the two. Prowl stepped back.

"Stay away from her."

The strange mech held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa, cool it. I'm not gonna hurt anybody. Ya Prowl? On Optimus Prime's team?"

Prowl nodded, very slightly, but didn't speak.

"That would make her…Riella? Looks like she needs a medic."

"I'm working on getting one," Prowl snapped. "So _if _you don't mind, we're going to get moving."

"Hey, take it easy." The stranger lowered his hands. "I'm Jazz. With the Elite Guard. Came out here with OP and your medi-bot lookin' for you two. Ya obviously can't carry her in your alt-mode…how 'bout ya let me? We'll get her straight back ta base."

"No way."

Jazz shook his head. "Look, I promise she'll be safe. But she looks like she's in bad shape, an' that means medical attention's needed sooner rather'n later. Ya dig?"

"What?" Prowl had trouble following his speech patterns.

"Let me carry her." Jazz held out his arms. "Ya can drive right beside us, make sure she's okay…"

Prowl was already shaking his head before Jazz finished the sentence. "I promised. I won't let her go. I can't. She needs me."

Jazz's expression softened almost immediately. "Oh. Okay. I understand. I already commed Ratchet, he's on his way. We'll start walkin', then."

_There you go, people! I may not be able to get online for about a week after tomorrow, but I'll keep writing and update when I get back!_

_Review, please!_


	11. Chapter 11

_New chapter, people! This was a hard one to write, so I hope you like it!_

A crash shook the base floor, and Prowl jumped several feet in the air. "Bulkhead, can't you keep it down?"

"Sorry." The big Autobot picked himself up. "Tripped."

"Relax, Prowl," Optimus told him. "Riella will be fine. Ratchet knows what he's doing, and I'm sure there's a reason he won't allow anyone else in the medbay."

The instant Ratchet had seen Riella's condition, he had rushed the fembot back to the base, forcibly removing Prowl from the medbay when the ninjabot wouldn't cooperate. "I don't need you in the way," the medic had snapped. "Get lost. I'll call you when you can see her."

"Yes, _sir_," Prowl muttered, stalking off in the direction of the medbay. _I'm going to find out what's going on. I don't care what Ratchet said._

Just as he reached the medbay, the door slammed open, and Ratchet stepped out. "PROWL! Oh, there you are. She's in trauma shock again. Get in here!"

"What?" Prowl had definitely not expected this reaction. "Why?"

Ratchet grabbed his arm and practically hauled him into the medbay, slamming and locking the door. "Because you know what's going on. And I need your help NOW."

Prowl tried to look past the older Autobot at Riella, but his view was blocked. "What's wrong with her?"

Ratchet looked around and lowered his voice. "Processor wavelength adaptability. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

_Oh no. No. _"Yes," Prowl rasped, looking past Ratchet at the bunk Riella was laying on. "I knew."

Ratchet nodded. "This is why she didn't want a scan, isn't it?" Before Prowl could answer, Ratchet continued. "And that's not all. Look." The medic stepped aside, allowing Prowl to run to Riella's side.

The ninjabot gasped when he saw the damage. Her chestplates were pushed apart, and her spark chamber was braced open with a thin medical instrument. It wasn't much of an opening, but it allowed Prowl to see the mangled, scarred spark within. He'd seen it before, but even so… "What…why do you need me for this?"

"You knew." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Prowl took one of Riella's hands in his own. It trembled slightly, but there was no other reaction. "Is it…is she going to…"

"I don't know." Ratchet sighed. "I can't get any further inside her spark chamber to look. She's in trauma shock; she doesn't know what's going on, and her instinctive reaction is to slam her spark chamber shut and keep it that way."

Prowl shook his head, gently rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. "I don't blame her! Ratchet, please listen, you can't tell anyone about this…if the security 'bots find out…"

"I know, I know." Ratchet raised one hand in surrender. "Trust me, I won't. I've heard what happens to telepaths…and the spark damage that I can see is more than enough to tell me the rumors are true. I called you in here because I think you can snap her out of the shock. She trusts you – at least, more than me – and if you can get her to cooperate, maybe I can get a chance to take care of her."

Prowl continued rubbing the back of Riella's hand gently, feeling his spark thrum with fear. "What do you want me to do?"

"Anything that wouldn't be part of a memory, or assimilated into one." The medic studied the fembot with sympathetic optics. "But whatever you do…be careful. If she panics again…"

"I know." Prowl didn't want to think about the damage that could result. "I know." The ninjabot leaned over Riella, keeping his gaze away from her damaged spark chamber and running his free hand over her forehead chevron. "Riella…Riella, can you hear me?"

Nothing. Not even a twitch.

"Riella…" Prowl leaned forward, resting his forehead against the fembot's and brushing his nasal ridge with hers. "Riella, please…it's me, Prowl…I saved you back on Cybertron, remember? I helped you get away from them. You're safe with me, I promise. I'll keep you safe, Riella…"

One blue optic flickered, and static crackled from the damaged vocalizer. Prowl shushed her quickly. "Shh, it's okay…shh…" He tightened his hold on her hand desperately, trying to pull her back with sheer force of will.

Gradually, almost painfully slowly, slim blue fingers closed around the sturdier tan ones. "Prowl…*khhhht*…don't…let…them…"

"I won't," Prowl murmured softly, still resting his head against hers. "I promise…no one will hurt you as long as I'm here."

Riella's optics flashed briefly, almost white from trauma. "…but…they're…try…ing…reach…my…spark…"

"No, they're not," Prowl soothed. "Ratchet is going to help you. He won't hurt you. I'll be right here. I'd never let him hurt you." As she started to shrink away, he pressed closer, hoping she would read his mind, somehow. "It's all right. I know you're hurting. Ratchet's going to fix what's wrong. Okay?"

"Pro…mise…?"

Prowl shifted so that Ratchet could reach the mangled spark chamber, but retained as much contact as possible. "I promise." Out of the corner of one optic, he glimpsed Ratchet removing the object keeping her spark chamber open, and felt Riella's reflexive jerk away. "Shh…stay still. No one will hurt you." She stopped moving immediately, but her frame continued to tremble as her optics onlined slowly. The ninjabot lifted his head, allowing her to focus on his face. Her lip components quivered a bit as she whimpered. "Prowl…?"

"Yes?" he whispered, hoping to distract her from Ratchet's actions.

"I dreamed…" Her optics flickered again as she stared up at him. "…we…were…alone…"

Concerned for the state of her vocalizer, Prowl squeezed her hand lightly. "It's okay. You can tell me later. Just rest."

Riella shook her head violently, coughing. "*khhhhht* no…dreamed…you said…you…love…me."

"You heard that?" Prowl determinedly ignored the look Ratchet shot in his direction. "Riella, you weren't dreaming…I did say it. I thought…you were dying."

Concern flickered across her face. "…meant…it?"

"I…it was…" Prowl realized what the answer was, even though telling her had been instinctive and not at all thought through. "Yes. I meant it."

"…but…me?" Riella gasped sharply, and Ratchet pressed a hand to her shoulder. "Stay still, kid. Part of your spark chamber is bent inward and pressing on your spark; no wonder it hurts. Prowl, out of my way; I have to bend it back. You can finish your chat after I'm done." The medic pushed Prowl back, but the ninja managed to keep his hand closed around Riella's.

"Okay, Riella. I gave you a painkiller, but I can't sedate you until your spark is stable. This is going to hurt a bit, but just hold still and I'll make it quick. Okay?" At her slight nod, Ratchet carefully reached into the small spark chamber, gripped something that Prowl couldn't see, and pushed outward sharply.

_OW!_ Riella shrieked in pain, vocalizer nearly shorting out; the cold metal felt like it had gone straight through her spark. A moment later, though, the horrible pain faded to a dull throb, and she felt Ratchet gently closing her spark chamber. Only then did she realize she was still gripping Prowl's hand, and that she'd probably nearly crushed it. "So…rry…" She couldn't see, and her voice wasn't really working, but she could sense that he was close. Very close. A second later, his arm gently wrapped around her shoulders. "You didn't hurt me. Just relax."

She couldn't. Not yet. She still had to know, to tell him… "You….know…loving…me…means…?"

She felt a fingertip brush against her lips. "I know. I can handle it."

Her hand tightened under his, clutching at him as if he was her lifeline – which, in her mind right then, he was. "…have…tell…you…"

"Riella, just wait, please?" His voice was almost pleading. She could feel how concerned he was for her safety. But he had a right to know.

"I…love…you."

_Hope you guys like this little development. I'm sure you saw it coming. ;) Reviews make me happy! Very happy! _


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are great!_

_Also, for a very sweet Riella/Prowl story, check out **Love** by tfaprowlxsawyer! _

Prowl sat quietly in a meditation position next to Riella's sleeping form. Ratchet had agreed to allow him to stay, on the condition that he didn't try to communicate with Riella until the sedative wore off. "In _any_ way," the medic had added with a glare. "Medical confidentiality means I'm not going to tell anyone about her anomaly, but I know exactly what it means. If she wakes up before time, I'll sedate _you_ until she recovers."

The ninjabot opened his optics to look down at the fembot. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep; the tension lines that characterized her face when she was awake were gone, leaving her with the appearance of an innocence that she had lost years ago. Prowl gently ran his fingers down her cheek, murmuring softly. "I'm so sorry, Riella…I wanted to keep you safe. I really did."

An awkward cough echoed in the quiet room, and Prowl looked up, expecting Ratchet to be ready to scold him. Instead, Bulkhead was standing there, looking uncomfortable.

"Is…something wrong?" Prowl finally asked when Bulkhead didn't say anything. "Did you need me to do something?"

"No, uh…" Bulkhead shuffled awkwardly. "I just wanted to say…um…that I really hope she gets better soon. And so does everybody else; Ratch' just wouldn't let Bee and Sari in here. Thought they might wake her up."

"Oh." Prowl blinked behind his visor. "Thanks…I'll make sure she knows."

Bulkhead nodded, smiled, and left. Prowl looked back down at Riella, stroking his fingertips across her chevron. _Who knew? I thought Bulkhead didn't like her…guess that just shows I'm not telepathic._

"Ahem…" Prowl turned to see Ratchet glaring at him. "When was the last time you got any recharge, kid?"

Prowl shrugged. "I'm not sure, really…before Riella left after our fight."

"Two solar cycles ago." Ratchet shook his head. "You need to get some rest, or I'm going to have two patients. Go on, now. Out."

Prowl's shoulders slumped. "Ratchet, please…I can't leave her!"

"She's out cold, kid," the medic said gently. "She'll never know you were gone."

"Yes, she will," Prowl whispered, taking her hand in his. "She will know if I'm not here…Ratchet, she needs me. I can't just leave her alone like this. The nightmares that she has after flashbacks…"

Ratchet arched one optic ridge. "And you would know about her nightmares how?"

Prowl blushed an intense shade of red. "That is not what you think! Our rooms are right next to each other, and well…I can hear her when she cries in her sleep."

"Mm-hmm." Ratchet stared at him for a moment. "And if I let you stay in here, how do I know you're going to rest?"

"I won't be able to rest anywhere else, either," Prowl pointed out. "Please?"

The medic sighed heavily. "Okay. I suppose you can stay. But for spark's sake, try to rest. I'm not interested in having someone else to take care of."

"Yes, Ratchet," Prowl promised, optics already traveling back to Riella's face. "I will."

With another sigh, the frustrated medic started to leave, then turned back. "Wait. Prowl. There's something you should know."

"What?"

Ratchet looked abnormally uncomfortable. "About your discussion with her earlier. And the…feelings you have for each other."

Prowl could feel his blush returning. "Honestly, Ratchet, I don't believe that's any of your business…"

"Wasn't gonna say anything about your feelings," Ratchet said flatly. "But for your safety and hers. How aware are you of the…ah…security measures that were, and probably still would be, taken to deal with a telepath?"

Where was this going? Prowl frowned. "Riella told me what happened to her. I've seen the damage. And frankly, I'd prefer not to talk about it."

"Understandable," Ratchet replied calmly. "But are you aware you would face the same if you were in a relationship with her?"

Prowl managed to keep his jaw from dropping. "What – why?"

"No one really understands how telepathy is transmitted," the medic explained. "It's thought that it could possibly be 'contagious'. That you could become a telepath from sparkbonding with Riella. No –" he held up one hand to stop the protest before it began. "I don't think it would happen intentionally, and probably not at all. But it is somehow tied to her spark, and if you were as well…I'm sure you know what I mean."

"Yes," Prowl growled, anger rising in his throat. Why did it have to be this way? Riella must have known, this was what she'd tried to tell him…it wasn't fair! She deserved better than this! "I understand."

The medic studied him sympathetically before leaving, looking back one more time to see Prowl still cradling Riella's hand in both of his.

"How is she?" Optimus's question caught Ratchet by surprise.

"Well enough…she should be back up and around in a few solar cycles," he responded cautiously. "I don't know about the mental trauma, though."

"Isn't there something you can do about that?" The Prime looked worriedly at the medbay door. "As irritating as she is sometimes, I don't want her to have to deal with some kind of post-traumatic stress."

_Oh, if only you knew how much of that she already has. _Ratchet shook his head. "I'm a medi-bot, not a counselor. I'll offer whatever help I can, but she'll have to find her own way through this."

"I see." Optimus started back toward the main room, and Ratchet headed to his berth for some much-needed rest.

He was woken several hours later by a comm call. ::Ratchet! Hey, doc bot, wake up!::

"Ugh. What is it, Bumblebee?"

::I think you should come see this!::

"Fine." Yawning, the medic made his way out into the main room, where Jazz, Optimus, and Bumblebee were huddled around a monitor. "What's so exciting?"

"Take a look at this, doc." Jazz moved over to make room. "Pretty cute, huh?"

Ratchet had to resist a smile upon seeing the image from the medbay. Prowl had apparently fallen into recharge while still sitting upright, and his upper body was now draped across the berth. Riella, still sound asleep, had curled up and snuggled into Prowl's chest. One of his arms was loosely wrapped around her shoulders, and his cheek rested against her forehead.

Ratchet shook his head, murmuring quietly. "She's lucky…they both are."

_Romance! Whee! :D _

_Review please!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks for all the reviews, as usual! They made my day! _

Riella's optics onlined slowly, flickering a few times as they adjusted to the dim medbay lights. Her spark still ached slightly, but not nearly as much as it had before. Prowl was still cuddling her, and she sighed contentedly, letting herself relax against him for a moment. _He loves me…he loves me. Even though he knows what I am…he loves me._ She looked up at her still-sleeping companion with a slight smile.

The smile, however, disappeared a second later as she remembered more of her last coherent moments. Prowl had said he loved her…she had tried to warn him but he said he knew the risks…and then she had told him she loved him…that was good. Wonderful. The best thing to ever happen in her life.

But they hadn't been alone. She had sensed someone else…who had been there? Who knew her secret?

_Ratchet. He had to have run the scans too…oh frag no! NO!_ Riella's optics widened in horror as she sat bolt upright – and fell back again, crying out in pain and fear. Her shoulders shuddered and tears started to run down her cheeks. Fight or flight took over, and she twisted and struggled against the arms that gently restrained her.

"Easy, Riella, it's alright. You're safe."

Prowl's words didn't register. Overwhelming fear drowned out the pain in her spark as she pushed weakly against his chest, trying to free herself.

"I have to run! I have to get out of here, let me go, please!"

"Shh," Prowl soothed, holding her down easily. "It's okay…no one is going to hurt you. I'm right here. I won't let anyone take you. Shh…"

Gradually, Riella's CPU processed the input she was getting. _He means it. We're alone. No one's here…they're not trying to take me, not yet…_Still trembling, she buried her face in Prowl's neck, clinging to him like a frightened sparkling. "Don't let them come for me…"

"There, there," Prowl murmured, cradling her close and gently rubbing her back. "No one is coming for you. Ratchet promised not to tell anyone."

Tears continued to spill over as the femme shuddered in her protector's arms. "But…how do you know…" Her spark pulsed frantically in her chest, and her vents fought to lower her body temperature. The already-erratic rhythm of her spark couldn't handle that kind of pressure well.

"He has never broken a promise before," Prowl reassured her softly. "And even if he did, I would never let them hurt you."

"I…I don't…" Riella burrowed into his chest, trying to block out the sensory data her CPU was sending her repeatedly. _Mech. Taller, stronger. Threat. Danger. No! I love him, I trust him. He wouldn't hurt me! I know he wouldn't!_

"Hush…" Prowl stroked her cheek, coaxing her to look at him. "Hush. Everything is alright. I'm going to call Ratchet."

Riella shook her head, still hiding her face in his shoulder. "No! Don't leave!" Alone, her still-hypersensitive circuitry would race out of control, forcing her into another panic attack…something she just couldn't let happen. "Just…stay for a minute…I'll be fine."

"Alright, alright," the ninjabot soothed quickly. "Calm down. I won't leave." His strong hands gently petted her neck and shoulders, easing the tense cables. "Shush. You're safe."

She wanted to believe him, she really did… "I'll be okay. I just needed to relax…can you help me sit up?"

"Are you sure you can?" Prowl studied her carefully. "You were wounded. I don't know what Megatron did to you while you were captured, but your…" he hesitated. "…Your spark was injured."

"I know." Riella didn't remember what exactly had happened after Blitzwing had taken her, but she did remember the point at which a vicious blow had sent intense pain searing through her spark. "But I think I'll be alright." Carefully, she began easing herself upright. "There, see?"

"You are _so_ stubborn." Shaking his head, Prowl slid off the berth. "Can I call Ratchet now?"

"I suppose." _I have to face him sooner or later…_

Ratchet entered the medbay almost the moment the door opened. Noticing Riella's uncomfortable expression, the medic sat down on the far side of the berth with a reassuring smile. "Good to see you up and around again, kid."

"Thanks," she whispered, barely audible. "Ratchet…I…you know?"

"Yes," the medic responded somberly. "I saw. Processor wavelength adaptability…that can't have been easy to live with."

Riella stared at her hands. "It wasn't. Isn't."

"I understand," Ratchet nodded quietly. "I understand. I can remember when the original Soundwave was first discovered to be a traitor, and the paranoia that started controlling the Elite Guard. You wouldn't even have been sparked yet, but the fear…it's still around."

"You think you have to tell me that?" Riella snapped. "Trust me; I know that paranoia better than anyone else. I _sensed _it every slagging day I lived on Cybertron! Are you trying to justify that?"

"No, of course not." Ratchet gestured placatingly. "I saw the…ah…results of what happened to you. There's no way I could ever justify that…and that was just what I saw in a routine exam. I'm sure an extensive examination would show more."

"Even a damaged paintjob would show more than could ever be justified," Prowl muttered under his breath. Riella glared at him.

_Excuse me? What I tell the Hatchet is my business,_ she shot in his mental direction. _He doesn't need to know about the other…stuff. It's just cosmetic, really._

_Really._ Prowl shook his head, staring at her back. He remembered the horrific scars on her chest and arms, no longer visible under her perfectly kept-up peacock blue paint. He didn't have to have seen the cause to know that the damage had been far more than cosmetic.

Riella's optics flashed briefly. "Ratchet, I don't need you to know what happened to me. What I need to know is, can I trust you?"

The medic's optics met hers directly. "Yes. You can. No one will ever find out about your secret through me."

"I believe you." She did. She could sense his absolute sincerity in every word. "Um…thank you."

Ratchet nodded quietly. "Riella, you can trust us more than you realize. As much as our team struggles to get along sometimes, none of us would ever turn you in."

Riella exchanged a quick glance with Prowl. She knew he shared her doubts; they might not turn her in on purpose, but by accident it would be all too easy. One slip in a conversation with the Elite Guard, one hint that she had an anomaly in front of the wrong 'bot, and her life would be over. As would Prowl's if they were together…

On seeing her expression, the medic rolled his optics with a sigh. "Okay. I'll stop. I need to check on your injuries anyway, so Prowl, scram."

"What? Why?" The ninja rested his hands protectively on Riella's shoulders. She turned to look up at him with a slight sigh. _Prowl, that's really sweet of you, but…_

Ratchet stood up abruptly and glared at Prowl. "Because letting you in here when she was critical was one thing. But right now, I'm going to be doing a spark examination, and I think since you've only been 'together' for a few hours, you should get your aft out of here and give the fembot some privacy. Clear?"

"…Oh." Prowl blushed. "Right. Um…"

"See you later, Prowl," Riella sighed, already leaning back. "See you later."

_Review please!_


	14. Chapter 14

_I love writing this cuddly stuff, but now it's time for some funny! Riella versus Sentinel Prime: place your bets, people! _

Stepping out of the medbay the next morning was one of the most awkward things Riella had ever done; did _every single bot on the team_ have to be there? With a sigh, she forced a faint smile and followed Ratchet into the main room. She could sense sympathy on the part of most of the 'bots in the room, but Bumblebee was irked about something or other, Optimus was highly frustrated, and one of the three she hadn't met before – probably Elite Guard, judging by the ridiculously polished chest symbol – just didn't want to be here at all.

Bulkhead broke the tension, smiling down at Riella. "Hey. You're up."

"Duh," she retorted, then winced internally. She hadn't meant to be so snappish, but the emotions in the room were affecting her more than she thought. Forcing herself to soften her tone, she continued. "Yes. It's…good to be back on my feet."

Optimus cleared his oral intake and stepped forward. "Sentinel, this is Riella, the second Cyber-Ninja member of our team." He gestured to the blue, bored mech. "Riella, Sentinel Prime."

Sentinel looked her over and smirked. "Well. Not bad…for a _maintenance_ 'bot."

Prowl's usually calm expression disappeared and he took a step forward. "Just a moment, Sentinel Prime. Who do you think you're talking to?"

Riella put one hand on his chest, stopping him from going any closer to the Prime. _Whoa there, Protectobot. I've got this under control. _Smirking at Sentinel, she commented, "Well, I suppose you would know _all_ about that."

Sentinel's grin dropped faster than a Seeker with offline jets. "Do you know who you're talking to? I outrank every member of your team! Especially _you_ and your wannabe ninja boyfriend!"

"Hmm. Let me see if I care." Riella pretended to think about it for a second. "…Nope. I don't."

Bumblebee snickered, and Sentinel flashed a glare in his direction before turning back to Riella. "You little glitch! Believe me, you'll care when I'm done with you! Optimus, even _you_ should know better than to let these grease grunts forget their place. What happened to respect for high-ranked bots?"

"That's reserved for high-ranked bots," the fembot shot back mockingly. "But I only see one in this room, and since I doubt you have the ability to guess who, I'll give you a hint. It's not you."

Furiously, Sentinel stomped over and leaned down, getting directly in her face. "Why, you – argh!" The instant Sentinel reached within an arm's length of Riella, Prowl shoved him backward. Hard. "Leave her alone!"

Just as Sentinel lunged back toward the ninjabot, the mech Riella hadn't been introduced to yet moved between them. "Whoa. Cool it, Sentinel. Remember, we're all on the same side."

With a 'hmmph' sound, the Prime stomped away, glaring at anyone in his path. The strange mech turned back to the other two. "Sorry 'bout that, he's not too keen on this planet. Riella, I'm Jazz. Ya probably don't remember me, but I met you an' Prowl comin' back from the 'Con base."

Actually, Riella did remember, now that he mentioned it. He had a unique mental signature that couldn't be mistaken, but of course there was no telling him that. "It's a pleasure. Speaking of the Decepticon base, Optimus, were you able to find it again?"

"We went to look," Optimus responded. "It was deserted. I would guess Megatron cleared out the minute he knew Prowl had been in the base."

"Figures," the fembot sighed. "Just our luck. Ratchet, am I allowed on patrol?"

The medic sighed. "I can't keep you in here for very long anyway, so yes. But – " He pointed sternly at her. "No solo combat. The minute you spot trouble, you call for backup. Clear?"

"Yes, sir," Riella mock-saluted. "Prowl? Do you get to come with me or what?"

"No, he doesn't," Optimus said firmly. "I was fine with letting him skip monitor duty to stay with you, but he's got quite a bit to make up for."

"Hmmph. Fine." Riella waved briefly to the ninjabot before transforming and disappearing out the door.

Jazz glanced at Prowl with a smirk. "Lucky mech. Pretty, smart femme like that, and she falls for ya. How'd ya manage that one?" He immediately had to dodge the shuriken that Prowl hurled in the general direction of his interface panel.

Riella avoided the area along the highway, instead making a wide arc around the lakeshore before angling back toward downtown Detroit. Sari was at Sumdac Tower, even though her father wasn't, and it couldn't hurt to go check in on the little girl. Discreetly, of course. She didn't want to end up babysitting. Halfway there, though, in a deserted back alley, her plans changed rather abruptly. A giant metal spider landing in the road in front of her made sure of that.

"Well, hello, little telepath," Blackarachnia purred.

Riella winced. "Do you mind not calling me that?"

"Give me a name to use, and I won't," the technorganic smirked. "Remember? You told me your boyfriend's name, but not yours."

Riella felt her frame instinctively tensing, but forced herself to control the urge to attack. She really didn't want to have to call in backup. "It's Riella. What do you want?"

Blackarachnia shrugged, twitching her spider-legs. "Oh, this and that…but mostly to talk to you."

"Talk? To me?" Riella blinked. Cautiously, she allowed her processor waves to synchronize with the other's. It was the truth; she really did want to talk. "Why? And don't give me some slag about mechs."

"Honestly?" Blackarachnia sighed. "Well, you can't get anything _other_ than the truth, can you?"

"Actually…" Riella broke off the explanation she was about to give. She didn't owe this fembot anything, certainly not information that might mean life and death. "Just tell me."

The Decepticon looked around. "Do we have to do this in the middle of the city?"

"Oh, now you want me to follow you somewhere? What, so you can ambush me?" Riella laughed harshly. "I don't think so. Say it here, or don't say it. No one else is around. Trust me on that one."

"Fine." Blackarachnia glared down at the smaller Autobot. "Didn't you wonder why I never turned you in?"

"Not really," the blue fembot retorted. "I figured you wanted something from me in exchange and just didn't get time to ask for it."

Red optics flickered for a moment. "Is that really all you think of me? That I'm just one of _them_, willing to sell out any bot for any reason?"

"Well, you _are_ wearing their symbol," Riella pointed out icily. "Kind of hard not to notice, don't you think?"

"I joined them only because they wouldn't kill me!" the technorganic growled angrily. "I know where I stand with them. The Autobots…well, you've seen for yourself what they do to 'flaws' like us!"

The pain coming through Blackarachnia's processor waves hit Riella like a physical blow. _She's scared. She did what she thought she had to. Would I have done anything else?_ "I understand," she heard herself saying quietly. "But not all Autobots are like that."

"Are you sure?" Blackarachnia turned her back, refusing to look at Riella. The blue fembot could sense the other's struggle not to cry. "Do you trust all of them?"

Riella closed her optics. _Not entirely…but…_"They would accept you back," she whispered. "You were a loyal Autobot once. That counts for a lot. And you…" She had to say it. "You could be monitored. You could earn their trust."

"When you can't?" Blackarachnia still didn't look at her.

"I don't know," Riella admitted. "They trust me now…but I don't know where they stand when it comes to…my type."

"Telepaths," the Decepticon snapped. "Say it. It's what you are."

Riella gritted her dentas angrily. "Yes. Telepaths. I don't know what they think. You, on the other hand…they want you back."

Blackarachnia turned to stare. "You know that?"

"I can sense it, you know," the Autobot assured her. "And Optimus has said it. Yes. You would be welcome."

"Coming from anyone else, I would laugh it off," Blackarachnia muttered. "But you…you have no reason to want me back. And you still make the offer. I'm tempted to believe you."

A sudden explosion from down the street rocked the ground. Both fembots looked in the direction of the sound.

"Trouble at Sumdac Tower," Riella hissed. "I've got to go. We'll talk later."

"I'm coming too." At Riella's shocked glance, Blackarachnia snapped, "I've got to make sure there _is_ a later."

_More action, next chapter! Once again, I hope BA's not too OOC. _

_Review please! _


	15. Chapter 15

_Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming!_

Riella was amazed by how easily Blackarachnia kept up with her. Despite the fact that Riella's vehicle mode was one of the fastest – second only to Bumblebee – the spider had no difficulty matching her pace.

At Sumdac Tower, the force-field auto-defense was just lowering when the two fembots reached it. Riella didn't bother transforming; a quick skid on her side left blue streaks on the pavement, but allowed her to get under the field well before it reached the ground. Blackarachnia, being significantly taller, had to transform and dive, and even then her left ankle just barely made it through.

The technorganic picked herself up, snapping at Riella. "You could've warned me!"

"I could have, if I'd known it would be an issue." Riella scanned the area for any sign of the intruders.

Blackarachnia hissed irritably. "Of course it would have been an issue!"

"Whatever." Riella spotted the melted remnants of a few police automatons. "Slaggit…we're dealing with Meltdown."

"Who's Meltdown?" The technorganic studied the melted metal impassively. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say 'trouble'."

"You got that right," Riella muttered grimly, starting toward the door. Blackarachnia followed. "Former human scientist, caught in a genetic experiment gone wrong, shoots acid from his hands now…oh, and did I mention he hates robots and wants to use Sari to create an organic transformer?"

"He's insane," Blackarachnia snarled. "No self-respecting 'bot – or 'Con – would agree to something so demented."

The doors had been melted shut from the inside; Riella wedged her fingertips into the slight gap and started pulling. "Oof! You can – unh – say that again."

"Need a hand?" Blackarachnia gripped the other side of the door and wrenched it powerfully, ripping it completely off the hinges. "After you, Autobot."

"Okay, not bad," Riella conceded. "Not bad." Ducking through the low door, she scanned the room rapidly. "Nothing robotic in here, but I can't sense organics…which is exactly what Meltdown and his sidekick are."

"You didn't mention a sidekick!" Blackarachnia protested. "Okay, what else did you 'forget' to tell me?"

"Ah-ha." Riella spotted the remains of the elevator doors. "Don't be so paranoid, will you? He doesn't _always_ have the big guy with him. Looks like they took the lift, so are you coming or not?"

"Big guy? This just keeps getting better and better." Blackarachnia's spider-legs clicked rapidly in frustration. "We're not going to fit in a human lift, you know."

Riella looked down the elevator shaft and winced. "That won't be a problem. There isn't one anymore. We're going to have to climb the walls; I don't suppose you'll have any issues, so – hey!"

Before the Autobot had time to finish her instructions, Blackarachnia had transformed, skittered through the door, and was scrambling up the wall before Riella could catch up to her. The blue fembot groaned. "Fine. I guess you can figure out which floor it is from the acid marks." Drawing both wrist-blades for extra support, she followed the spider up the elevator shaft, using the short ledges here and there to kick off and jump higher.

Blackarachnia paused once she was well above the telepath, staring down at her. She could kill her easily, right now. Kill her, then retrieve that Key, and be gone. No one would ever know. If the Autobots ever found her – an unlikely possibility – they would assume she had fallen to her death. But…

Yes, there was always that hesitation. Had it been Optimus or Sentinel, well…Blackarachnia had no trouble killing the ones who had abandoned Elita-1 to her fate. But when it came to someone who had never even known of Elita's existence – especially someone who shouldn't exist, just like Blackarachnia! – long years of Autobot training still protested. _It's not right to punish her for their betrayal! _Her Decepticon thoughts protested – _She's an Autobot! She's one of them! She'd kill you if she had this chance _– but the reminder of how the Autobot had done the exact opposite when Blackarachnia had turned her back on her won out.

"Hey!" Blackarachnia almost fell off the wall at Riella's yell from below. "Something wrong?"

"Just...letting you catch up! You always this slow climbing?" she shot back, hoping the telepath hadn't been listening to her thoughts. Without looking back, she latched onto the wall and scrambled upward rapidly.

As a matter of fact, Riella hadn't been picking up her exact thoughts. However, some things were unavoidable, and it was clear Blackarachnia was conflicted about what she was doing. _As long as she doesn't try to stab me in the back…when she's not going all 'betrayed by the 'bots' she's pretty tolerable. More so than some mechs I could name. _

Blackarachnia's red optics flashed briefly as she transformed, gesturing for Riella to join her. The Autobot retracted her blades as she pushed off the wall and front-flipped upward, landing with her feet locked into a loop of the cable next to the technorganic.

"What is it?" the Autobot hissed, every sensor on high alert. Before Blackarachnia could answer, Riella saw the melted door. "Ahh…we're here. Good, bad, neutral, or oh slag run?"

"Huh?" Blackarachnia stared as if her companion had lost her mind.

"Never mind. I'll take point." Riella paused and turned to look straight at Blackarachnia. "You watch my back, I watch yours. Deal?"

The Decepticon fembot nodded, understanding the unspoken threat. If either one failed to follow through with her part of the bargain, the other would not hesitate to leave her to her fate. "Deal."

Without another word, Riella leaped silently into the gap between the remains of the elevator doors. Her sensitive audios instantly picked up the sound of crashing from down the hall, and she sprinted toward Sari's room, mentally thanking Primus that Sumdac had built the tower with hallways that could fit a small Autobot.

She skidded to a halt just outside the room, flattening herself against the wall before glancing around the door. Sari was nowhere to be seen, but Meltdown had just destroyed one of the closet doors, resulting in the sound that had caught her attention.

Riella tensed, bracing herself for the attack – it had to be precise, thanks to the acid – but before she could strike, a yell from Blackarachnia stopped her, causing her to spin around. Colossus Rhodes stood between them and the elevator, still undersized.

"Going somewhere, tin-can?"

_I like cliffhangers. :D _


	16. Chapter 16

_We'll learn a bit more about Riella in this chapter! Thanks for all the reviews, as usual._

Blackarachnia arched an optic ridge at Riella. "_That's_ your big guy sidekick?"

"Not yet," Riella muttered. "Just wait until the stero-somethings kick in. Then we may need backup."

"Yeah, right." Blackarachnia turned dismissively. "Let's go deal with the real problem here, assuming there is one."

"I don't think so," Colossus Rhodes sneered. Riella instinctively backed away as the steroid-enhanced human started changing size.

"Blackarachnia…!"

As Rhodes' shoulders hit the ceiling and a quick punch smashed through it, Riella backflipped rapidly down the hall. "Blackarachnia! Get back here!"

A yelp, followed by the sickening sound of acid melting through the nearby wall, indicated that the Decepticon was otherwise occupied. Grimacing, Riella settled into a combat stance. _If Optimus couldn't take him on alone, what chance do I have?_

Rhodes' challenging roar echoed down the hall as he thundered toward her. Riella stood her ground until he was almost literally on top of her, then dropped to the floor and somersaulted clear of the fist that shattered the floor where she had been standing. Rolling away from the gaping hole, Riella came up on her feet and looked her huge opponent straight in the eyes. "That all you got, organic?"

"Get back here and fight!" Rhodes snarled, teeth bared. One huge hand wrapped around a beam in the wall, ripping it free from the surrounding materials. Riella ducked as a chunk of the ceiling crashed to the floor.

"Make me," she taunted, gracefully backflipping to the far side of the debris. "If you can!"

"Fine by me, trash can!" Rhodes took a few steps back before sprinting toward the hole in the floor.

Blackarachnia ducked as another spray of acid hit the wall above her, hissing in pain as some of it splattered on one of her spider-legs. She fired another web in the direction of Meltdown's legs, trying to pin him to the floor, but he melted through it easily. "Slag," the technorganic growled, diving through the hole in the wall. "Riella!"

"Busy!" the Autobot shouted back, spinning and snap-kicking Rhodes in the knee before flipping out of his reach once again. "I suggest using plan B…"

"What's plan B?" Blackarachnia attempted another web-shot at Meltdown, but this one missed.

Riella leaped out of range as the heavy beam smashed down again. "Plan B is call for backup and RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

Blackarachnia turned to see that the other fembot was almost at her side. "I guess that's typical of Autobots. I assume you'll be the one calling for backup?" Both of them bolted as the beam sent most of the ceiling in their direction.

"Well, I don't hear you volunteering," Riella shot back, ducking reflexively. "I guess one of us has to know what to do when outnumbered."

"Oh, very funny!" Blackarachnia spun around and fired a web at Rhodes' foot, pinning it to the floor for a moment. "Where are we supposed to be running to?"

Riella dived around the corner, skidded to a halt, and flattened her back against the wall. Blackarachnia did the same. "We're _supposed_ to be finding Sari and getting the force-field down so the backup can actually get in here! Just because I sent a distress signal doesn't mean they can get through the auto-defense."

Blackarachnia's four red optics narrowed angrily. _Stupid Autobot! Does she really think I'm just going to follow her orders? And I hope she heard that!_ "What makes you think I want to rescue an organic?"

"Absolutely nothing." Riella leaned around the corner, then ducked back quickly as green acid melted through the opposite side of the corridor. "Slag, I knew I needed a range weapon! But if you want to get out of here, we need that Key. Unless you have some other way of taking out the force field?"

_Frag you! And the fact that I need you! _Blackarachnia bared her fangs and hissed, furious. "Khhaaa! Fine! But it's _your _responsibility; I'm not hauling an organic brat through a battle!"

"I can deal with that!" Riella growled. "Now do you mind forgetting about your little case of xenophobia and _helping me out before we both get turned into melted slag?_" Just as she finished yelling, Colossus Rhodes smashed through the corner of the wall, roaring. "Get back here, you coward!"

Riella spun, detaching one of her wrist-blades and hurling it at the metal controllers on his back. Her aim was slightly off, so the blade glanced off the metal, but lodged in his shoulder. Furious, the enhanced human let out another unnerving roar and ripped it out, hurling it back at her. The Autobot caught the bloody blade with a smirk; her attack had given Blackarachnia time to build a significant amount of webbing. The technorganic immediately launched the webbing directly into Rhodes' face, knocking him backward and pinning him to the wall.

Blackarachnia waited only a second to make sure she'd hit her target before backflipping away, following Riella down the hall. The Autobot was incredibly quick – not as surprising as it could be, considering she was a trained Cyber-Ninja. For a moment, the Decepticon wondered if Riella had intended to leave her behind, but ruled that idea out; she was far too intelligent to take on these two alone. More likely, Riella had underestimated her companion's speed. _Understandable,_ Blackarachnia mused. _She works alone or with the other ninja. Probably no experience with Academy bots…not that I have _anything_ good to say about Academy bots!_

"_Primus! Would you quit whining? You're worse than Bumblebee on a stealth patrol! We already know you hate most Autobots. You don't have to remind me."_

The Decepticon's optics flashed with shock at the mental comment. It wasn't out loud, but it _definitely _wasn't her voice. "WHAT THE SLAG?" she shrieked, transforming and bolting toward the blue fembot in front of her. "What do you think you're _doing__**, **_you glitch?"

"_Oops."_ Blackarachnia felt a flare of incredibly bitter amusement that wasn't her own. _"Excuse the intrusion. Bye." _

"What. Was. That?" The technorganic lunged, intending to pin Riella to the wall, but for once the Autobot was too fast. She twisted out of her attacker's way, sending Blackarachnia crashing into the wall.

Riella sighed, staring at the furious Decepticon. She hadn't meant that comment to transmit, but the link must have been stronger than she'd assumed. _Slaggit…this would be why I don't work with others! _"Easy, spider-lady, okay? It was an accident."

"An accident? An _accident?_"Blackarachnia struggled to her feet, red optics blazing. "You _invaded my processor!_"

This was always what they said. She could explain, but it would never help. _I still have to try…_"I didn't have to. You were projecting your thoughts."

"Projecting - AAAA!" Blackarachnia's retort was cut off by the door that opened, releasing a heavy cable that smashed the Decepticon into the far wall. Riella had already taken a fighting stance by the time it retracted, disappearing behind the door frame. A quick glance after it confirmed her theory; this was Isaac Sumdac's lab.

Scanning Blackarachnia, Riella determined easily that the Decepticon was online, just unconscious. Gripping the other fembot around the waist, Riella struggled and finally managed to pull her into the lab. The door slammed behind them.

Straightening up, the Autobot studied her surroundings. There was nothing moving, but she knew _someone _was in the lab.

"Sari, where are you?"

_Sorry…I promise I'll finish this part of the story arc soon. :) _


	17. Chapter 17

_So much for my update soon resolution…sorry guys!_

Riella stared down at Blackarachnia with a sigh. _Now what?_ The moment Blackarachnia had realized Riella could pick up on her thoughts, any trust they had established had disappeared in a blaze of fury. _What if she decides to make sure it never happens again…by turning me in?_

There were options, of course…Riella just didn't like any of them. Despite the opinion some had of her, she wasn't sparkless; killing an unconscious enemy just didn't sit right. She might not have accepted the ninja code as fully as Prowl, but that part had sunk in. _Fight with honor…at least as much as someone like me ever can. _Not that the other choice was any better: it was certainly _possible_ to remove Blackarachnia's memory of the incident, but that sometimes had unpleasant consequences if it didn't go exactly right.

_Besides, that would make me just what most 'bots – and 'Cons – think I am. A threat. Am I willing to make that sacrifice just to live a little longer? _Riella bit down on her lip component, hard enough to sting. The answer had been clear all of her life, and was even clearer now, after what Prowl had told her when they'd been in the medbay... _No. No. Because the day I betray my morals to save my own life is the day I lose the right to live like a non-flaw. Unwatched, trusted…loved._

Shoving those thoughts away fiercely, the blue fembot turned and paced across the lab. "I'll just have to deal with it," she growled aloud. "What happens, happens. I can face it. Speaking of which…" She ran a scan of the lab again, just to be sure. There was still no sign of anyone organic, but for Sari's Key to affect that cable, she had to be close.

"Sari! Come on, kid, it's Riella."

Nothing.

Irritation took over, and Riella slammed a fist into the wall, bending the metal around the shape of her hand. "Slaggit, this isn't a game…GET OUT HERE!"

Blackarachnia groaned, and the Autobot spun around, braced for an attack. The technorganic was sitting halfway up, rubbing the back of her head. "Owww…Primus, what hit me?"

"A cable," Riella answered cautiously. "And you hit the wall. Can you get up?"

The Decepticon eyed Riella warily, sliding one clawed hand back against the wall and pushing herself upright. "Yes. And I have just one thing to say to you, Autobot: touch my mind again, and **I. Will. Kill. You.** Clear enough?"

"Yes," Riella gritted out. _No point telling her I can't help it. Just be thankful she's calmed down. _"What now?"

"Now?" Blackarachnia locked optics with Riella, glaring for a long moment. "Now, we finish this, and then I get out of your range and you stay the Pit away from me. Where's the human?"

"Which one?" The Autobot shrugged. "Meltdown and his Hulk buddy are still looking for us, and I can't find Sari…"

"Riella, look out!"

The fembot ducked instinctively as something-or-other flew over her head, narrowly missing Blackarachnia. Spinning on her heel, she yelled into the rafters, "Sari Sumdac! What do you think you're doing?"

"It's the spiderbot! Behind you!" Riella caught a glimpse of the eight-year-old's red ponytails behind a beam. Sighing, she took a step forward and held out one hand.

"Blackarachnia is helping me rescue you, Sari. Now please come down here."

"Why? So she can steal the Key again?" Sari shook her head, narrowing her big brown eyes. "Not gonna happen!"

The Autobot rolled her optics. "Sari…" Before she could finish the sentence, Blackarachnia had fired a web into the rafters, catching Sari neatly and pulling her down. Of course, the girl protested the whole way.

"HEY! Put me down, Decepticon!"

"Like I _want _to hold you," Blackarachnia snapped, dropping Sari into Riella's hands. "Good grief, don't you ever shut up?"

Before Sari could snap back, Riella placed a finger over her mouth. "Thank you, Blackarachnia. Now that we've got that taken care of, let's get out of here, please. Sari, is there a lift from here to the ground floor?"

"Uh…yeah." Sari pointed. "My dad sometimes used it when he didn't want to walk very far." She gave a sad little smile that was rather unlike her. "He could be kind of…lazy sometimes. But…"

"I know," Riella muttered gruffly, pushing down the sympathy that she wanted to show. Time for that later. "You miss him. Move it, Blackarachnia."

"Fine, I'm going," the Decepticon growled. "Don't rush me. My helm still hurts, thanks to _you,_ kid."

At the ground floor, Riella looked around carefully before stepping out and setting the human down. "Okay, Sari. I need you to deactivate the force-field so our backup can get in. Blackarachnia, cover the – AAAA!"

The acid had come almost literally out of nowhere, burning through her side panel down through plating and cables. Riella almost fell, but forced herself to stay upright and turn to face Meltdown, even as she desperately pressed a hand over the wound. _I'm not going down like this! They didn't break me, and neither will you!_

_Cliffhanger again… :/ I promise to post more soon though. _


	18. Chapter 18

_Finally getting back to this story! Battle scenes and Sentinel being a jerk. Enjoy. _

_Also, I realized I should clarify the timeline; this story started immediately between the S1 finale "Megatron Rising" and the S2 opener "The Elite Guard". It basically replaces seasons 2 and 3. _

Riella backflipped away from Meltdown as more acid splattered against the ground where she had been standing. One knee buckled as she landed, almost throwing her to the ground. _Frag! _"Blackarachnia!"

A roar and a clang from somewhere across the courtyard indicated that Colossus Rhodes was back, and Blackarachnia was busy. Swearing under her breath, Riella ducked another shot of the acid and transformed, speeding back toward Meltdown. Just before running into him, she hit the brakes and skidded sideways, letting her back wheel spin around and ram his legs. He went flying; unfortunately, Riella's injured side threw her balance off, and she landed in a heap against the reception desk. "Slaggit! Sari, can you hurry?"

"Working on it. EEEK!" Sari ducked as a heavy metal pole smashed into the desk above her. Riella dived clear as Rhodes took another swing. "Sari, stay there, I'll cover you!"

"BRING IT ON, TINCAN!" the oversized human roared, slamming the pole down yet again. Riella twisted and rolled out of the way, only to realize that she'd cornered herself. She winced, instinctively raising one arm to protect her face.

Just as the pole smashed down again, Rhodes screeched in pain and stumbled. The pole missed Riella's head by inches.

"What are you waiting for?" Blackarachnia yelled, wrenching the sharp-tipped spider-leg out of the human's lower leg as he fell to one knee. "MOVE, you idiot!"

_Right…move._ Riella's processor was spinning with pain, but she forced herself to duck out of the way as Rhodes took a swipe at her. "Nice timing."

"Great. Come on!" Blackarachnia grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the wall. "Kid, hurry it up!"

"Almost…got…it!" Sari ran out from behind the desk, then ducked back behind it with a squeak as Meltdown fired acid in the direction of the two fembots.

Riella got her balance back and stepped clear of Blackarachnia, bracing herself in a fight stance. "Sari, stay back! Blackarachnia?"

"I've got your back." Blackarachnia locked optics with Riella for a long moment. Riella could sense that the technorganic truly meant it. _How did a Decepticon and an Autobot become allies?_

Rhodes picked himself up, growling in pain, and stumbled toward them. "You're gonna pay for that, spider!"

"Make me," Blackarachnia taunted, pinning his foot momentarily to the ground with a web. "Don't you have something better to do?"

Riella dodged away from a spray of acid, but a few drops landed on the raw gash in her side, drawing a hiss of pain. "Frag you!" She flipped forward, aiming her right foot in a kick at his midsection.

Sari poked her head out from behind the desk. "I got it!" Above them, the force field shimmered and deactivated.

Prowl was already skidding into the courtyard and transforming before the field had completely disappeared. "Riella!"

"I'll be fine," she yelled back, jumping out of the way as Meltdown rolled over and tried to clamp a hand down on her ankle. "Little help here?"

The black and gold ninja dropped to one knee, pinning Meltdown with one hand on the protective suit. "Where's the other one?"

"Right – oof – over here!" Blackarachnia grunted as she picked herself up from where she'd been knocked into the wall. "Come back and try that again, organic!"

Riella planted one foot on Meltdown's shoulder, holding him against the ground despite his flailing. "I've got him. Help her!"

"You're hurt." Prowl didn't move. "She'll be fine! Optimus can help her." Moments later, Optimus's vehicle form slammed head-on into Rhodes' injured leg, sending him shoulders-first into the small decorative fountain behind the desk. Sari yelped, running out from her hiding place. "Watch it!"

"Good thinking!" Riella called. At Blackarachnia's glare, she added hastily, "Water shorts out the electrodes!"

"Ohhh." Blackarachnia marched over and picked up the now-undersized human by the collar. "So now what? Throw him at the nearest rock wall?"

"No!" Optimus shook his head. "Just put him down. He's not going anywhere."

"Always the merciful one, Optimus," Blackarachnia growled, but she dropped Rhodes onto the desktop. "So you'll save an enemy, but abandon a friend?"

Optimus's optics dimmed sadly. "Elita, if I had known…"

"It's _Blackarachnia_!" she hissed, fangs bared. "And I don't want excuses, Optimus."

"Okay, okay! Stop!" Riella applied more pressure as Meltdown struggled. "Quit it, you. Blackarachnia, just drop it, okay?"

"Drop it?" Blackarachnia turned toward Riella with another hiss. "Do you have any idea what I've been through thanks to _him_?"

"Actually, yes," Riella shot back. _Just don't say it out loud, please…_

Blackarachnia's optics narrowed. "Fine. Maybe. Just stay out of my business, or I'll – "

"What is _that?_"

Prowl groaned, muttering, "Sentinel, you really have bad timing…"

Blackarachnia spun toward him, optics flashing. "Oh, not _you_. What is this, betrayal reunion day?" She flicked her spider-legs irritably. "I think I'll be moving out, thanks."

Sentinel backed away from her, lip component curling in disgust. "A 'bot with an organic mode? Ewww!"

"Sentinel!" Riella left Meltdown to Prowl and stomped over to the blue Prime. "She saved my life! Do you have to bring up your phobias?"

"Yes, he does," Blackarachnia snapped. "He's always been like that…although it didn't used to be aimed at me." Riella sensed the hidden grief rising to the surface again, and turned to glare at Sentinel, who had recoiled at Blackarachnia's words.

"You…have we met?"

Riella stepped between them. "Sentinel, drop it!"

He ignored her. "…Elita-1? OPTIMUS! You knew about this?"

"I was going to tell you!" Optimus protested. "You didn't give me the chance!"

"Whatever!" Sentinel stared at Blackarachnia with disgust. "How can you _live_ like this? Half organic? It's disgusting!"

"Okay, fine! But it's not _that _bad!" Blackarachnia hissed and stepped past Riella, deliberately invading Sentinel's personal space. "Bad, but not unlivable!"

"Yes it is!" Sentinel practically jumped backward to get away from her. "You should have _offlined!_"

At the flash of pain Riella sensed from the other fembot, her temper snapped, and she stormed forward. "Sentinel Prime, _that is enough!_ Say one more word to her, and I _will _hurt you!"

"Who do you think you are?" Sentinel sneered. "You can't give me orders – OW!" He doubled over, one hand clutching at the sensitive area Riella's foot had just connected with. "What the…"

"You were warned," Riella growled. "LEAVE. HER. ALONE. In fact, why don't you just leave? Don't let our concept of politeness hit you in the aft on the way out."

Sentinel looked ready to argue, but Riella's expression warned against it. "…Fine! This isn't over!" He transformed and screeched out of the courtyard, leaving black streaks on the pavement.

Blackarachnia looked at Riella. "I suppose I should thank you…unfortunately, I don't feel like it."

"Never mind," Riella snapped. "I've been wanting to put that jerk in his place since I met him this morning. That wasn't for you."

"Good. So we're even." Blackarachnia turned to leave, but glanced back one more time. "If you need me, you know where I am. Later, Riella."

Riella nodded, watching the spider skitter away. _Thank you…Elita._

_I like putting SP in his place. ;) And yes, some of the dialogue is borrowed from the S3 episode "Predacons Rising". _


	19. Chapter 19

_Less action, more fluff. :D Couldn't resist. Don't laugh, please. _

_Camping trip weekend…so I shall be offline until Sunday evening!_

Riella studied the peaceful little clearing for a long moment, admiring the simple, untouched beauty of the organic life. Her lips curved into a slight smile – a real one, not the smirks she usually threw in the direction of her teammates – as she turned to her companion.

"It's beautiful, Prowl. How did you find it?"

Prowl shrugged. "I was looking for somewhere that would be quiet. You know how the base gets when Bumblebee and Sari start playing video games; my room's not exactly soundproof. I thought…" He blushed slightly, half-smiling at her. "Maybe…we could spend our time together out here. Since you said you're not really ready to be…um…an official couple yet. At least, not publicly…"

Riella traced one fingertip gently along a tree branch, studying the patterns in the wood absently. "Prowl…I didn't mean…it's not that I don't want to admit that I'm with you. I just…well…I'm not even supposed to live, let alone have a relationship…"

"I know." Prowl rested one hand on her shoulder cautiously. When she didn't shove him away, he placed his arm all the way around her shoulders. "I don't have a problem keeping this a secret for a while. Not because of you – I'd…um…I don't have a problem announcing _that_ – but can you imagine how Bumblebee and Jazz would react? They would _never_ stop mocking us."

Riella giggled softly as she turned and placed her hands on his shoulders, looking up at him. "Beyond that. We would never get a moment alone again." At his expression, she shrugged. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no." Prowl traced his free hand across her cheek, still hesitant about how much contact was allowed when she was awake and alert. "I just haven't heard you laugh like that for a long time. In fact, I don't remember the last time I heard it."

"I rarely have much reason to laugh." Riella leaned against his hand for a brief second before pulling away. "Unlike some members of our team…and I think that's something we need to talk about."

The black and gold ninja frowned nervously. "Is it…did I do something?"

It was Riella's turn to quickly reassure him. "No. But, well…if we're going to be…um…you know…_together_, there are some things you probably want to know. Or…" She paused to think for a moment. "Actually, you probably _never_ wanted to know any of this. But you need to."

"Ah." That alone told Prowl far more than he wanted to know, and he bit his lower lip. "This isn't just "I think you need to repaint", then. At least I hope not."

"No." Riella rewarded his rare joke with half a smile. "And you don't."

"Good." Prowl settled into a meditation posture on the grass and motioned for her to join him, which she did after a moment of hesitation.

"Okay." Riella took a slow, deep breath. "So…there's no easy way to put this. The moment you told me you love me, you sentenced yourself to death. I'm sorry." She lifted her right arm and roughly raked her left hand across the blue paint. Underneath the outer coat, dark silvery scars laced her forearm. "You've seen me without paint. You know these don't just cover my arms." One hand absently brushed her chest plates. "This was mild compared to…I was lucky."

"You were strong." Prowl stroked the scars gently. "Stronger than they were."

"I was a sparkling, Prowl." A single tear glistened in one of Riella's optics. "No older than Sari. I had no strength. Fighting was pointless. It only resulted in more pain. When they take you into the Warehouse, they never mean for you to come back out. They reprogram you, and if that doesn't work, they kill you. And not just simply killing."

"Riella…" Prowl tried to stop her, but she shook her head firmly.

"No, Prowl, let me finish. To them, telepaths _are not sentient._ In their processors, we don't deserve a quick death, never mind actually living." She flicked the tear impatiently off her cheek. "I would never wish that fate on anyone. No, not even the ones who tried to kill me." She reached out to touch his hand. "You need to know…I love you. And because of that, I won't let you suffer for me. If I am found out…I never knew you."

Prowl's optics widened in shock as he realized what she meant. "No, Riella. No! If you…I want to stay with you even through that."

"You didn't see what I saw, Prowl. I saw the results…of a successful 'termination'. That's what they call it, you know." Her optics flickered with bitterness. "Termination. I am nothing more than a broken machine to them. And if they find me again, you will be the same. Promise me you will not be sentenced with me."

Prowl knew what she was really asking. _Promise that if I am in danger, you will say you never knew me. Leave me to die. _"No! I can't do that."

"You have to," Riella insisted softly. "I won't live with the knowledge that I sentenced you to a painful, brutal death. Please…if that day comes, do not add to the torture with that."

_Well…_ Prowl realized that he could make _that_ promise. _Because I will never allow them to touch her again. _"Alright. But if there is any other way, promise you'll try that first? Or let me?"

"There will never be another way," Riella shook her head, the tear sliding down her cheek. "But…if for some reason there is…yes. I will try."

A sigh of relief escaped Prowl before he could stop it, and without really considering possible repercussions, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against hers. For a moment her body tensed, but she yielded and returned the kiss only a second later, accepting his embrace and wrapping her arms around his neck.

_Sorry folks, that is where the kissing scene stops. ;) But I did write more; if anyone wants to see it, message me. Why do I write robot make-out sessions? I guess…just because I can._


	20. Chapter 20

_Thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys are so nice! *squeals* _

Riella transformed and stepped clear of the lake, shaking the water off her shoulders. _Let's see…I picked up the signal about half a mile from here. Okay, so work on underwater navigation._

Something just didn't feel right. Acting on a hunch, Riella grabbed a tree branch and swung herself up, concealing herself within the leaves and watching the ground below. She didn't have to wait long; within five minutes, a deer moved between the trees and stopped to graze – only to be pinned to the ground by a heavy energy net.

"Primus!" Riella dropped out of the tree and hurried toward the thrashing animal. Kneeling beside it, she reached for the stakes that held the net down. "Hold still, you; I'm going to get this off."

The deer didn't apparently find her reassuring. It kicked out and almost hit her elbow through the net. Riella pushed the leg back before it could get caught worse. "Stop it!" She pried one stake up and reached for the next. "What moron sets this kind of thing?"

"Probably Sentinel." Riella spun, braced for combat, but relaxed when she recognized Blackarachnia. The technorganic rested one hand on her hip. "He's been hanging around here a lot."

"Has he, now?" The blue fembot turned back to the stakes. "Now why would Pompous Gas-bag Prime be on an island with no other Autobots?"

Blackarachnia chuckled. "You come up with that nickname? It's not bad."

"Actually, Optimus called him that. Revenge for all the 'Maintenance Prime' jokes Sentinel's been throwing in his general direction." Riella pried up the next stake, ducking away from the deer. "Oh, quit it, whatever you are; I'm trying to help!"

The spider-former arched an optic ridge in the other's direction. "Don't know why you're bothering. Probably has to do with your tree-hugger boyfriend. You want a hand?"

"You're going to make me ask, aren't you?" Riella pointedly ignored the comment about Prowl.

"Yes." Blackarachnia smirked.

"Fine. Little help here?" Riella glared at her.

Blackarachnia dropped to one knee and landed a web over the deer, effectively stopping its struggles. "I'll fix that after you get the net up. And to answer your earlier question, I think Sentinel's been here because he's interested in the Dinobots."

Riella yanked out the stake and almost poked herself in the optic. "You know about them?"

"Of course. They're kind of hard to miss."

Riella had to admit she had a point. "You think he's trying to catch them?"

"Maybe to figure out what they are." Blackarachnia waited until the net came loose and dissolved, then pulled the webbing off. "You're free, organic. Scram."

The deer needed no encouragement, struggling to its feet and bolting. Riella stared after it. "That net was probably the signal I followed. So, you got the Dinobots to tolerate you?"

"As long as I stay out of their territory, they leave me alone." Blackarachnia glanced sideways at Riella, red optics flickering. "You're not reading my mind, are you?"

"Not really," the Autobot shrugged. "Just picking up a stray thought or two about you thinking Sentinel's a jerk. Although that could be me."

Blackarachnia's optics widened in alarm. "You can't tell what are your thoughts and what are others? Isn't that dangerous?"

Riella sighed heavily. "I can usually tell, but you…well, do you know how processor wavelength anomalies work?"

"I know your receptor system merged with your CPU and syncs processor wavelengths with other 'bots," Blackarachnia replied thoughtfully. "But that's it…I never studied telepathy. No real need; I've never known a Decepticon telepath other than Soundwave 1, who I ignored very hard."

"Right. That's the basics." Riella knew this was going to be one awkward conversation… "I just pick up stray wavelengths here and there, more if a 'bot is very emotional and projecting their thoughts unintentionally. But some wavelengths are easier to sync to than others. If I wanted to really read Sentinel's mind, for example, I would have to consciously think about it and force the connection. But my processor automatically syncs to Prowl's thoughts." She blushed slightly. "I suspect he may be projecting deliberately." _Why am I telling her this? Stick to the subject. _"You're easy to sync to. I don't have much control over it."

"Lovely," Blackarachnia commented, optics flashing with interest and a bit of suspicion. "So your boyfriend actually wants you reading his mind. Does that mean you're serious?"

"None of your slagging business," Riella snapped, standing up. "Oh, why am I even talking to you? We're on opposite sides."

"Not anymore."

Riella spun to stare at her. "What? You're defecting?"

Blackarachnia rolled all four of her optics. "Don't kid yourself. What, like I'd go back to _Sentinel_? But there's a third option. I don't have to be a 'Con."

"A neutral." It was Riella's turn to show distinct interest. "Why change now?"

The technorganic huffed. "That's none of your business either. Let's say I decided not all Autobots are like the ones who left me to die."

"Fine. Be like that." The Autobot turned to leave. "I suppose this means I'll run into you again, but since this was a false alarm, I should head back to base. Optimus is going to wonder what happened to me." She glimpsed Blackarachnia wincing at the name. "Later."

"Riella."

"What?" She turned back irritatedly.

Blackarachnia's expression was abnormally intent. "Sentinel wasn't just watching the Dinos. I saw him making a comm call. I didn't hear everything, but…" She raised one hand in a 'what if?' gesture. "From what I did hear, he's slagged off at you since you stood up to him. I'd watch your back if I were you."

Riella felt a cold chill grip her damaged spark. "Got it. Thanks."

There were no more patrols she needed to take that afternoon, so she took her time getting back to base, calling in on the way. "Riella to Optimus, I'm back. False alarm. I'm going to explore."

::Fine, just stay close.::

Just because she could, Riella sent a burst of static along the line. "Yes, sir."

She stopped in vehicle mode alongside one of Sari's favorite parks. It was quiet today; most of the children were probably in school.

An engine hummed, and she shifted one mirror to see Prowl pulling into the parking space beside her. "What are you doing?"

"Checking on you." Prowl settled his kickstand down so that he didn't have to keep the engine running. "I wondered…well, you didn't come back to the base, and I thought you were going to be right back."

"I guess I was." Riella followed his example, allowing her female hologram driver to disappear. "I ran into Blackarachnia again. Sentinel's been up to something, and I don't like it."

"I never like anything Sentinel does," Prowl grumbled. "What is it this time?"

Riella twitched slightly. "I don't know…but most of what he does is pretty harmless. Comm calls that none of us know about…that can't be anything good."

Unknown to either of them, a return message was just scrolling across Sentinel's private computer screen.

**Your concerns regarding this fembot are noted. The appropriate measures will be taken. Do not allow her to leave the planet. **

…_Sorry guys. No happy ending yet. _


	21. Chapter 21

_I know, I know, I'm so mean to Riella. Hope she doesn't come after me. ;)_

Riella checked all the monitors for the 28th time. Still nothing. Everyone was out patrolling or helping humans with repair work, even though it was getting dark. _Okay, femme,_ she told herself sternly. _Time to find out what's up. _

Sentinel Prime might be a member of the Elite Guard, but he certainly didn't know how to keep his database from unauthorized access. His firewalls might as well have been nonexistent, despite the fact that hacking wasn't Riella's strong suit.

_Let's see…various entries about how irritating and insubordinate he thinks we are._ Riella scrolled past it. _Not important. I need comm transmissions. Ha, here we go. Some of this is, or should be, classified, like the AllSpark being dispersed! Idiot._ She flicked through all the transmissions made from the ship. _These security measures couldn't be worse. Someone should really check into this. I could access Ultra Magnus's calls from here. Not Jazz's, though. Smart mech. _

Two clicks on the keyboard later and she had found private comms. _Alright, Sentinel. What did you call in?_

The message transcript appeared a few letters at a time. Riella managed to read halfway through it before slumping in the chair, horror clutching at her spark. _Oh no. No. Primus, no. Why, Sentinel? Why me? This, all because I stood up to you?_

Jazz opened the door to the base, whistling cheerfully. "Yo, anybot home? OP? Prowl?" At the lack of response, the laid-back ninja shrugged and started into the control center. "Kinda late to leave the place unattended. Hope Sari's not here by herself again."

He rounded the corner of the monitor station and came face to face with a fembot pointing a knife in his face. "Whoa! Cool your circuits, Ri, I'm friendly. Didn't ya hear me come in?"

"No. No, I didn't." Riella lowered the blade slowly. "Is anyone with you?"

Jazz shook his head. "Nope. SP and the Magnus are still back on _Steelhaven_; don't know where your bots are. Somethin' the matter?"

Riella cycled her vents shakily. "Nothing. You startled me, is all." She turned away and flicked a few switches. "Would you do me a really big favor and watch the monitors for a few minutes? I have a comm call to make."

"Sure, no prob." Jazz took her place at the table. "Private chat, huh?" He studied her from behind his visor. Riella was lying; something was definitely wrong, and she was scared. She might be a good liar, but he had learned to tell the signs. Optics too wide, fingers trembling as she nervously shut down the computer screen.

"Something like that." She disappeared back into her room. As soon as she was gone, Jazz started backtracking. "What scared ya so bad, Riella-girl? Not like ya to be caught off-guard."

The messages that she had been reading made him smile. "Hackin' SP's database? No wonder ya didn't want me here." His smile disappeared when he saw the content. "Slag, mech…what'd'ya think you're doin'? What kind of Prime _are _ya?"

**Sentinel to security officer Cliffjumper.**

_**Cliffjumper. What is it, Sentinel Prime?**_

**I believe we have a traitor in the maintenance crew located on planet Earth.**

_**Sentinel, if this is part of your vendetta against Optimus…**_

**No, sir. The suspect is a fembot, apparently trained in the Cyber-Ninja arts. My evidence: she defended a known Decepticon as a potential ally, threatened to assault a superior officer, and generally seems to know things that she should not. **An image of Riella's face – how had he gotten _that?_ – followed.

_**Hmm. We will investigate her and get back to you. Do you know any other information that might be relevant? **_

**Yes, sir. We should proceed with caution. She tends to be insubordinate and act alone. If she suspects anything, we could lose her fast. **

"Vector Sigma." Jazz sat back and shook his head. "Sentinel, that's low. Reportin' an obviously loyal femme as a traitor 'cause she stood up to ya when others won't?" He studied the rest of the message. "No wonder she's upset. 'Least this'll keep ya out of her way; she'll never be found guilty. Magnus better come down on ya hard for this."

_**Sentinel Prime, I must warn you; your information alone is not enough to convict her. We will discuss it and come to investigate if the evidence warrants, but she is innocent until proven guilty. These are serious charges, and if she proves innocent, you will be investigated and recalled to Cybertron. Is that understood? **_

**Yes, sir. I will continue to watch her. Sentinel out. **

Riella deactivated the comm link with a sigh. Nothing. Prowl must have his comlink off. But maybe that was for the best. _I'm not a traitor. But I'm a telepath. If…when…they investigate, they'll find out for sure. They would have to run scans, make sure I'm not being manipulated, and those would show them…they would know. And Prowl…oh Primus, he might have said he would say he never knew me but we both know he won't…I can't let him go down with me. If they have to take me again…I will not allow them to take the mech I love. I won't. I won't. _

She curled into the roots of the tree that had reached from Prowl's room into hers and stared up at the setting sun. "There's nothing you can do, Prowl," she whispered sadly, brushing a finger along the tree root. "Sentinel didn't mention you yet, but he will if you try to help me. I should have known..." She closed her optics, letting a single tear well up and spill over as her trembling servos reached for the mini-recorder she unsubspaced. Her plan was already taking shape. A message, a shuttle, making the best choice for both of them even though it was already killing her deep inside.

"I love you too much to stay and let this happen. I have to leave."

_Yes, this is going downhill fast. Sentinel is such a slaghead. Don't kill me! I promise she'll get a happy ending eventually!_


	22. Chapter 22

_I'm such a monster when it comes to my characters. Sorry, Riella..._

The door slid open with a click. Riella froze, waiting to see if she had been heard; but no, everyone was still asleep except whoever was at the security station. She cautiously inched her way along the narrow path just outside the security camera's range, stopping at the next door and keying in the code.

Prowl was curled up against the wall, apparently having fallen asleep while still sitting up. Riella half-smiled sadly. That had always been a habit of his. Her lower lip quivered, and she ruthlessly crushed the urge to simply cuddle up with him and stay there forever. _No. That would only help for a day or two. Then someone will find out that I have no records, then they'll come…then…no. Breaking his spark is better than watching him die._ Squaring her shoulders, the blue fembot set the mini-recorder next to Prowl, where he would be sure to see it when he woke up. Then she knelt and brushed her lips against his one last time, feeling the tears threaten to spill over as she remembered the last time she had spoken with him that night.

"_What's the matter? You're awfully quiet." Prowl studied her with a concerned frown. "Are you still worried about Sentinel? Because I was thinking there may be a way to take care of it." _

_She forced a smile as she picked up his 'idea'. "Prowl, I really don't think asking Blackarachnia to paralyze him until they leave the planet will help anything."_

"_Okay, maybe not." Prowl cupped her chin in his hand and stroked her cheek lightly. "I was hoping that would get a better response. Don't worry, Riella; Sentinel's a glitch-head and a jerk, but I doubt he could really do anything to you. He doesn't have the nerve." _

Oh, if only you knew… _Riella nodded, hoping he couldn't read the truth in her optics. "I know." She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the lips before resting her head on his shoulder. "Prowl…"_

"_I know." His cheek rested against the top of her head. "I know."_

Riella stared down at her sleeping love sadly. _No, he didn't know. _Wiping away the stray tears, she stood up abruptly and left the room without looking back. Bumblebee was on watch, which made it ridiculously easy to slip out of the base, transform, and speed toward the _Steelhaven._

Prowl woke at precisely 6:30 a.m. with a stiff neck and a sinking feeling in his spark. Something had been wrong with Riella the night before, he knew it; but he had fallen asleep before she'd come back from patrol. _I hope she's alright. _

Picking himself up and rubbing the back of his neck, the ninja started toward the door, only to stop when he saw Riella's mini-recorder on the floor. "Oh, slag," he cursed, picking it up and pressing the activation button.

An image of Riella's head and shoulders appeared, framed by the wall of her room. She bit her lip before speaking. "Prowl, I'm sorry. I never wanted to do this. But Sentinel's comm call…It was to the Autobot security center."

Prowl growled, muttering _very _unflattering things about Sentinel as the hologram continued, Riella shaking her head. "The substance of the message was that he believes I am a traitor. It's in a file here if you need proof. I refuse to stay here and be treated like a criminal when I am innocent." Her optics glistened slightly with what might have been tears. "You understand why. I only hope that you can forgive me for leaving like this, but I love you and I'm not willing to watch you die because of me." She reached out to shut off the hologram, but hesitated. "I want you to know that the time I was with you was the happiest I have ever been. Goodbye, Prowl. I love you." The hologram disappeared a second later.

The ninja's jaw clenched hard enough to hurt. "No. No!" Dropping the recorder, he bolted out of the door and ran to Riella's room, slamming one hand against the door. _She can't be gone! _When there was no response, he keyed in her code and opened the door, only to see an empty room. The berth obviously hadn't been used, and her few personal possessions – a small medi-kit and some basic maintenance supplies – were gone. "Riella, no…" He shook his head in disbelief. "No!"

He hurried toward the main room. _Maybe she didn't leave yet. Maybe I can catch up with her, stop her…_ He didn't see Jazz until he ran headlong into the other ninja.

"Prowl!" Jazz grabbed his arm. "Hey, mech, ya OK?"

Prowl shook his head, barely able to say the words. "She's…Riella…she's not here." He couldn't say _gone. _

"Oh Primus," Jazz groaned. "Follow me…I think there's somethin' ya should see."

Optimus, Ultra Magnus, and Ratchet were gathered near the side of the _Steelhaven_, studying the remains of what had once been the lock holding the emergency shuttle to the side of the bigger ship. Ultra Magnus was speaking as the two ninjas pulled to a stop next to them.

"Optimus Prime, I want you to take a full roll call of your crew immediately. Find out if someone is missing." Prowl knew what had happened immediately, and his spark constricted with grief and fury as he responded.

"That won't be necessary. Riella is gone. She left a message telling me…"

"Slag," Ratchet growled, looking from the ninja to the broken lock. "What was the kid thinking?"

Sentinel Prime exited the ship with a smug expression. "I thought as much! Of course it was her. And it doesn't take much to figure out why she left."

"No, it doesn't," Prowl hissed dangerously, voice dropping almost an octave. "You and I both know what you did!"

Sentinel smirked. "Are you accusing a superior officer of being responsible for her disappearance? That's a court-martial worthy offense."

"I'm not accusing you of anything," Prowl growled, stalking toward the blue Prime. "I'm _saying _that you falsely accused her of treachery, and she left rather than be treated like a criminal!"

"Isn't her departure _further_ proof that she's a traitor?" Sentinel sneered. "Maybe you should accept that your pretty girlfriend isn't as perfect as you'd like to believe!"

That did it. Prowl lunged for Sentinel's throat, slamming the larger mech onto the ship's ramp and crashing a fist into his face. "LIAR! YOU SON OF A GLITCH!"

"Prowl, stop!" Optimus and Ratchet pulled him back, each holding one of Prowl's arms as the ninja struggled to attack again.

"He's nothing but a lying coward! If it weren't for him, Riella would be here!"

"That's enough!" Ultra Magnus barked. "Sentinel Prime, is it true that you accused Riella of treachery?"

Sentinel, looking somewhat shaken, pushed himself to his feet. No one offered to help, waiting for his answer. "Yes, Commander. I believed she was a threat to us, and acted accordingly. Cliffjumper will confirm that."

Ultra Magnus's frown deepened. "Optimus Prime, were you aware of this?" At Optimus's negative response, he turned to stare at Sentinel. "You, Sentinel Prime, should have followed correct procedure. You should have spoken to her commanding officer first. If _he_ agreed there was a threat, then was the time to report it. Going behind his back not only implies an authority you do not have, but gave the accused fembot no chance to defend herself. The ninja is right; you gave her no other option than to leave, unless she was willing to submit to your investigation."

Sentinel's smile had dropped the moment Ultra Magnus spoke to Optimus, and his expression had darkened with every word. "Sir, I – "

"No excuses, Sentinel Prime," Ultra Magnus snapped. "I will speak to you later. Optimus Prime, do you have any way of contacting the missing member of your team?"

Optimus shook his head. "No, sir. Her comlink is short-range, and since she apparently disabled the comm system on the shuttle…"

"We can't reach her," Ratchet finished gravely.

Prowl turned away, jaw gritted against the possibility of tears. "She's really gone."

Ratchet held out a hand to him. "Kid, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be sorry, Ratchet," Prowl sighed. "It's not your fault." He glared in Sentinel's direction. "It's _his._"

Riella carefully adjusted the controls, angling her shuttle toward the space bridge ahead. Her optics flickered, dull with grief, but she forced herself to focus. She was alone again, the way she had been before…_no. Don't think like that. _

Prowl, and Optimus Prime's crew, were part of the past now. Someday, they would be nothing more than a memory…

_But I don't want that,_ she thought, pain welling in her spark as space blurred at light-speed. _I want to be with them. _

_But I will never let them get hurt for me. _

_**The End**_

_*covers head and hopes no one throws hard things* I know! I'm sorry! There'll be a sequel, I promise!_


End file.
